The Aaron Rodgers controversy continues to rage despite the future Hall of Famer not seeing the field since the fourth play of the first game. Rodgers amazed medicine with the speed of his rehab and recovery and was prepared to play late in the season if the Jets were in playoff contention. Alas, they weren’t, and Rodgers sat out the rest of the campaign.
That, however, isn’t what anyone is focusing on when they think of Aaron Rodgers. Despite being one of the best ever to play the position and still being a vital part of the NFL, Rodgers made the unfortunate decision to actually do his own research and make his own health choices during Covid 19. Along with body autonomy came scorn and ridicule. The leftist media labeled Rodgers an anti-vaxxer and made him out to be a dangerous conspiracy theorist.
Naturally, Rodgers just doubled down on every claim and every theory, most of which have proven to be more fact than theory. This did little but enrage the left and endear the quarterback to conservatives everywhere who protested mandating lockdowns, masks, and vaccines. Notably, late-night “comedy” shows were especially critical of Rodgers, especially Jimmy Kimmel.
Kimmel, who excoriated people who refused a vaccine to the point of suggesting they should be denied hospital care, spent the year criticizing and making fun of conservatives and people like President Trump and Aaron Rodgers. Now, the most recent flap with the Jet quarterback has taken an even uglier turn, resulting in Rodgers ripping ESPN and the media for trying to cancel him over his Kimmel-related comments.
For context, Jimmy Kimmel had long scoffed at the possibility of the Jeffrey Epstein client lists, which Rodgers has long claimed were real. Kimmel even went as far as to make fun of Rodgers for maintaining there were flight logs and client lists. Now that the world knows that Rodgers was, in fact, correct, he pointed out that “There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, really hoping that doesn’t come out.” The mainstream media seized on the comment, claiming Rodgers was implying Kimmel was on the list when, in fact, Rodgers was roasting Kimmel because, once again, he was right and the late-night host was wrong.
On Tuesday, one day before his dismissal from The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers had choice words for the media and ESPN. He said: “This is the game plan of the media. This is what they do. They try and cancel. It’s not just me. It’s nowhere near just me. You look at all the different people who have been censored from the internet, especially during Covid — the canceling that went on, the censorship, using the government to try and censor people — and if that doesn’t work, they go to name-calling.” He continued: “I mentioned all the names that I’ve been called, and they don’t stick because I’m not anti-vax. I’m interested in informed consent and things that are in the best interest of my body. I’m not a MAGA. I’ve never had any affiliation with anybody associated with that movement, which is OK if you are, though!”
What most galls the left is Rodgers is a free-thinker with a platform and track record to back it up. For alleged funnymen like Jimmy Kimmel, perhaps feeding the controversy is a strategic means of scrounging up viewers for his failing show. Rodger’s, however, couldn’t resist getting a “jab” in at Kimmel once again. He joked: “I’m glad that Jimmy is not on the list. I really am. I don’t think he’s the p-word [pedophile]. I think it’s impressive that a man who went to Arizona State and has ten joke writers can read off a prompter.”
Perhaps at some point, liberal mouthpieces such as Kimmel will find a more productive and easier target than conservatives and free-thinkers. Considering the ratings in recent years, probably not.
