NFL veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t shy away from controversy with the Green Bay Packers, and he’s acted the same way with the New York Jets.
Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon four snaps into his tenure with his name team earlier this week. And many sports observers had various reasons for why that happened.
One such example is Keith Olbermann, who used Rodgers’ season-ending injury to joke that it happened due to Rodgers refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine.
Another #SuddenLisfranc due to failure to vaccinate 💉💉💉💉💉💉 https://t.co/2p08Deh1Wa
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) September 12, 2023
Rodgers responded in a way that only he could during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“Yeah, get your fifth booster, Keith,” Rodgers said before launching a parting blow: “Bum.”
"They're all BUMS" 😂😂 ~ @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/MLsAuhTjRV
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 15, 2023
While the feud with Olbermann certainly grabbed headlines, Rodgers also took issue with Greg Kelly, a host for conservative news channel NewsMax.
Kelly blamed Rodgers’ use of the plant-based psychedelic ayahuasca for the injury.
“I totally saw this coming,” Kelly said Wednesday, according to Awful Announcing. “This was going to be a disaster. Something happened to this guy, he got involved in psychedelics. It’s not good, and he took it, and he encouraged others to do the same. … Lay off that tea.”
Rodgers said the response to his injury was predictable and went as far as to label Kelly as a “bum,” too.
The NFL world was quick to react to Rodgers’ fiery appearance:
Day. Made. 🤣 https://t.co/6NMJKKfdaj
— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) September 15, 2023
.@KeithOlbermann, after getting destroyed by winners like @AaronRodgers12 and @Riley_Gaines_, maybe you should take a day off from bullying people online and touch grass. https://t.co/vjd5VXVLDX
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 15, 2023
No dummies, he’s mocking people who blame the vaccine for every health ailment, not mocking Rodgers himself (although good chance if Aaron had vaccinated himself, he’d blame this injury as a side effect.) https://t.co/vs6BjhWzto
— Phil Braun (@playazball) September 15, 2023
It’s funny how scary of a joke that is to Pat & his team. https://t.co/B5BrixyNOR
— An0maly (@LegendaryEnergy) September 15, 2023
jokes on Rodgers because he got fined thousands for refusing to do the right thing by getting vaccinated 😂 https://t.co/ytdNvq01EO
— Tyler Neher (@TylerNeher2) September 15, 2023