Aaron Rodgers only had two choices when it came to his vice presidential bid
It wasn’t long ago that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was rumored to be a potential running mate for presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. In fact, a consultant for RFK even registered an online domain with Rodgers as a potential running mate.
As it turns out, Rodgers wasn’t ready to hang up the cleats. Instead of opting for a life of politics, he decided to continue playing for the Jets. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Rodgers said he faced an ultimatum regarding his vice presidential bid.
“I love Bobby (RFK),” Rodgers said. “We had a couple really nice conversations. But there were really two options: It was retire and be his VP, or keep playing. And I wanted to keep playing.”
Of course, there may have been other potential reasons for Rodgers deciding not to turn to politics.
Shortly after his potential nomination was rumored, national media didn’t hesitate to create a smear campaign against the Jets quarterback. While it included his conspiracy theory ideas and his anti-vaccination stance, it also included hearsay regarding Rodgers’ thoughts and comments on the tragic Sandy Hook incident that took place in 2012.
The perception of truth often gets blurred in politics. Political opponents constantly attack each other. Many people can’t (or won’t) tolerate their public image being tarnished in such a way. However, Rodgers is no stranger to drama surrounding him. In fact, one could argue that Rodgers would bode well in a political career.
Despite his potential prowess as a man holding office, that didn’t stop the Jets quarterback from being surprised himself when RFK contacted Rodgers about being his running mate in the 2024 election.
“That’s why I was interested when Bobby (RFK) came to me and said, ‘Would you think about being my running mate?’ And I said, ‘Are you serious? I’m a [expletive] football player,'” Rodgers said in an interview with Tucker Carlson.
“I love this country … I’d love to be a part of bringing it back to what she used to be. I thought about it. I definitely thought about it because I love Bobby, and I just wanted to hear what he had to say about it.”
Yet, while Rodgers had these VP rumors swirling in the offseason, he doesn’t think that it makes him a hypocrite for stating the team should “flush the B.S.”
“I appreciate anybody’s opinion,” Rodgers said after Tuesday’s practice. “That’s the beauty in the first amendment in this country, and free speech. Whether it’s positive to me, whether it’s negative. I joke about people talking about their vax status before they make comments about me. I do that because there’s definitely people that view me under that lens. So the comments about me are usually framed in that mindset. It’s not like a sensitive comment or a victimization comment, it’s just the actual truth. I respect those opinions. Those are offseason things. Those are real opportunities. Mostly podcasts with friends of mine and the Bobby [Kennedy] thing … how it got out there, I don’t know, but it wasn’t from me. Once the season starts, it’s all about football.”
Thankfully for Jets fans, Rodgers doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. He will enter his age-40 season attempting to end the longest playoff drought in the NFL, seeking to bring the Jets back to a place of relevancy that they haven’t seen since Rex Ryan was head coach.
If Rodgers is successful in this endeavor, there’s a real opportunity that a political career may await him in the future.
