New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers took another shot at Dr. Anthony Fauci while discussing his rapidly healing Achilles injury.
During a his weekly visit to “The Pat McAfee Show,” which he has reportedly been paid more than $1 million for this year, co-host AJ Hawk asked how Rodgers was recovering so quickly from what should have been a season ending injury.
Rodgers was seen walking without crutches over the weekend and throwing passes.
The injured QB explained that he believes in “will power” and the “power of the mind” to aid healing, along with intensive rehabbing.
"If science is Dr. Fauci, you're damn right I'm defying science."
Aaron Rodgers with another swipe at Dr. Anthony Fauci on The Pat McAfee Show pic.twitter.com/ul0FRubZus
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 17, 2023
He said he asked his doctor, who performed a “newer, innovative surgery” that allowed Los Angeles Rams’ running back Akers to return to the field after five months, if he could “push it beyond the normal protocols.”
Later in the segment, Hawk said that Rodgers “does things his own way,” to which McAfee remarked, “He actually defies science.”
Rodgers clearly couldn’t pass on that set-up, and used it to drag the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“If science is Dr. Fauci, you’re d–n right I’m defying science,” Rodgers snarked.
It wasn’t the first time Rodgers fired on Fauci, who he referred to as a “pharmocrat” last week while talking about Chiefs’ player Travis Kelce, who he called “Mr. Pfizer,” after appearing in the pharmaceutical company’s campaigns for a dual COVID-19 and flu shot.
Rodgers initially bestowed Kelce with the nickname while discussing his team’s performance during their 23-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4.
Aaron Rodgers is inviting Travis Kelce to have a vaccine debate.
Rodgers proposes that it be him and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. against Kelce and Anthony Fauci.
(via @PatMcAfeeShow)pic.twitter.com/tcqPmptGtB https://t.co/xvH9M5MlpR
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 10, 2023
“And that our defense played well and Pat [Mahomes] didn’t have a crazy game,” he stated.
“And Mr. Pfizer, we kind of shut him down a little bit. He didn’t have any crazy impact on the game, other than some yards and stuff.”
Kelce laughed the moniker off during a press conference, saying that he thought Rodgers’ nickname was “pretty good.”
“With this stache right now, I look like godd–n Mr. Pfizer,” he chucked. “Who knew I’d get into the vax wars with Aaron Rodgers?”
Kelce said he got the vaccine to keep himself and his family safe. “So yeah, I stand by it 1000% and fully comfortable with him calling me Mr. Pfizer,” he continued.
The following week on McAfee’s show Rodgers offered to debate Kelce and Fauci.
“Mr. Pfizer said he didn’t think he’d be in a vax war with me,” Rodgers began. “This ain’t a war homie, this is conversation.”
“But if you want to have some sort of duel, debate, have me on the podcast,” he said in reference to the Kelce brothers’ podcast “New Heights,” or McAfee’s show.
“Let’s have a conversation. Let’s do it like in ‘John Wick 4,’ so we both have a second, somebody to help us out,” he continued.
Rodgers said his pick was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and said that Kelce could take “Fauci or some other pharmacrat, and we can have a conversation about this.”
McAfee loved the idea, could only imagine what Kelce and Fauci would look like sitting across the table from Rodgers and RFK Jr.
“That would be big ratings right there,” the Jets’ star replied.
McAfee faced backlash after revealing that Rodgers’ weekly spots on his show aren’t based only on their friendship.
“My company went from a valuation of [$2 million to $5 million] to a company valued over $500 million in just a few years,” McAfee noted.
“Everybody who helped us get to this point has reaped the benefits of it, that’s how business is supposed to work.”
“To be transparent, Aaron deserves much more than what he’s gotten for the time and effort he has put into ‘Aaron Rodgers’ Tuesdays,” he commented.
Fellow ESPN host Stephen A. Smith defended McAfee after the revelation.
“I want you to tell the public out there — who’s been critical and questioning of y’all’s relationship — to kiss your a–,” he said during McAfee’s appearance on his show First Take.
“They wish they had the relationship. All of these people, tell them to kiss your a– twice. That’s right. Quote Stephen A. It’s ridiculous.”