Aaron Rodgers has caught a lot of flak for his stance against the COVID-19 vaccine for years now.

Nov 24, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8), on injured reserve, pregame against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Yet, the New York Jets quarterback never backed down from his beliefs. In a recent chat with Tucker Carlson, Rodgers delved into vaccine narratives and how people who took it out of fear actually feel now.

When the vaccines came out, people either supported them or were labeled “anti-vaxers.” Aaron Rodgers explained that many who got vaccinated to keep their jobs or protect their families now worry about the vaccines’ safety.

He pointed out that some people confidently continue with boosters and masks, but others feel abandoned. Rodgers thinks they were pressured into it, believing it was the only safe option as it was mandated. He said,

“That side of the population is like ‘hold up, hold the f*ck up, you said all this stuff, now you’re walking back? And then there is another set that doesn’t want to engage at all. They did it and now have a lot of fear around it, a lot of shame around it. So I feel, two of those three groups, we can kinda bring in, there’s compassion and kindness.” Rodgers added.

Rodgers feels that even staunch vaccine supporters shouldn’t be made fun of. It’s easy to mock those with different views, and he admitted he’s been guilty of it sometimes. However, he “doesn’t want to be part of that anymore“. He, now, wishes for people to unite and support each other.

Aaron Rodgers Once Challenged Travis Kelce For a Vaccine Debate

Aaron Rodgers might have been sidelined during the 2023-24 NFL season, but he sure stayed in the headlines. Rodgers was quite outspoken against the COVID-19 vaccine and even challenged Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to a debate on its effectiveness. Their back-and-forth started when Rodgers mocked Kelce for partnering with Pfizer to promote flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines.

Aaron Rodgers dubbed Kelce as “Mr. Pfizer,” prompting fans to highlight his connection with the Jets under Woody Johnson’s ownership and tagging him as “Mr. Johnson & Johnson”. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce, in a lighthearted manner, shared an amusing anecdote with reporters about their unexpected involvement in the “vax wars” banter.

Now, despite refraining from directly mentioning Kelce on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers subtly alluded to their ongoing debate, keeping the banter alive.

“I made a tiny little joke about a guy shilling for a potentially … corrupt company and everybody kind of loses their minds. Mr. Pfizer said he didn’t think he would be in vax war with me. This ain’t a war, homie. This is just conversation. But if you want to have some sort of duel, debate, have me on the podcast, come on the show, let us have a conversation.”

Rodgers enthusiastically proposed a debate involving himself and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent figure in the anti-vaccine movement, and Travis Kelce, Tony Fauci, or another representative from the pharmaceutical industry. For which Travis just didn’t feel the need to respond.

That being said, Rodgers even admitted to making “misleading” comments in 2021 by indicating he was “immunized” against COVID-19, a term that was widely misconstrued as implying vaccination.

He later clarified that he had not received the vaccine but had instead opted for ivermectin, a medication commonly used in veterinary medicine and promoted by podcaster Joe Rogan.