It wasn’t so long ago that Aaron Rodgers was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.
True, his views on vaccines were troubling, not least because he purposefully misled reporters when asked about his vaccination status, while his love of darkness retreats and psychedelics – viewed as wacky by some – provided evidence of an athlete willing to explore and debate alternative ways of living his life.
But his recent shot at Jimmy Kimmel begged the question of how he’d become “the kooky, cringey relative at family holidays,” according to USA Today columnist Nancy Armour.
One-man headline maker
Rodgers has had quite the year.
Away from the football field for almost the current NFL season due to injury, the quarterback has managed to stay in the limelight thanks to his weekly appearances on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” providing Rodgers with a regular platform to address many and any issues on his mind. McAfee has confessed he pays Rodgers seven figures to appear on his program.
But what happened with Kimmel – part of a long running verbal feud, falsely suggesting, or perhaps joking – that the late-night host’s name might be among those listed in documents that identify Jeffrey Epstein’s associates, was a reminder that the 40-year-old quarterback’s schtick can be dangerous. Kimmel doesn’t appear in the Epstein documents.
Over the last 12 months, Rodgers has been a one-man headline maker.
From the initial rumors of his move to New York to the quarterback’s season-ending press conference in which he said the Jets organization needs to “flush the bullsh*t” to bring success, ESPN’s Rich Cimini, who has covered the franchise for over 35 years, has had a front row seat to the Rodgers show.
Cimini doesn’t dispute that Rodgers can be a “polarizing” figure away from the field, but the reporter says that the 40-year-old has actually been a unifying one in the Jets locker room.
“I do not believe at all that he’s divisive in the Jets locker room and within their own building. Just the opposite,” Cimini told CNN Sport. “I actually think he’s been a galvanizing force for the Jets.
“The Jets have been devoid of leadership for years, for decades, and to bring a guy like him into the locker room, I think has had a positive effect,” added Cimini.
The Jets last appeared in the playoffs in the 2010 season and have won just one Super Bowl, 56 years ago, so Rodgers was seen as the crowning piece to a Super Bowl-ready roster. But following his injury, the team struggled and rotated through five quarterbacks throughout the season.
