The football world continues to buzz over Friday’s appearance by Aaron Rodgers on Pat McAfee’s show. Some in the football word are wondering whether Rodgers should have kept his mouth shut.
As Peter King said on Friday’s PFT Live, the silence from Rodgers had become “deafening.” By saying not anything on Wednesday or Thursday, Rodgers allowed the media (which he clearly hates) to set the narrative that he lied about his vaccination status. (Because he did.) Then came Friday afternoon, with Rodgers airing grievances and making accusations that the NFL has disputed. He reconfirmed in one sitting his widespread reputation for being sensitive -- so sensitive that he’s even sensitive about being called sensitive.
Through it all, the Packers have a huge game at Kansas City on Sunday, in what will be the first start of Jordan Love’s career. Rodgers necessarily has created a major distraction as the Packers try to focus on football, and on getting to 8-1.
Actually, the positive test while pretending to be vaccinated was the distraction. Friday’s Twilight Zone TED Talk exacerbated it.
Coach Matt LaFleur flashed frustration with reporters over questions about Rodgers. And for good reason. It’s been all Rodgers all week, thanks to Rodgers himself.
While he arguably should have said something before Friday afternoon, Rodgers arguably should have waited until, say, Tuesday, for his next regularly-scheduled appearance on McAfee’s show.
And as to those who are criticizing McAfee for not asking Rodgers any tough questions, here’s the simple truth. If McAfee or A.J. Hawk did anything other than throw bouquets at Rodgers, he wouldn’t appear on the show at all. (Rodgers can prove that wrong by sitting for an interview with me. Anytime, anyplace, anywhere.) McAfee and Hawk have leveraged their status as former pro athletes and their relationship with Rodgers (Hawk and Rodgers were teammates in Green Bay) to create a space in which Rodgers feels sufficiently comfortable to spew an interrupted hour of verbal diarrhea that others can then dissect. Really, if Rodgers hadn’t appeared with McAfee and Hawk, Rodgers probably wouldn’t have said a word on Friday, to anyone.
While that may have been a better outcome for all involved, we never would have had access to the thoughts, ideas, and justifications bouncing around and within Rodgers’s brain. And the Packers would have a little bit less to be distracted by as they prepare for a significant game without the reigning NFL MVP.
