Getty Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers embrace on the field after a 2022 game.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will be divisional rivals with Aaron Rodgers on the gridiron this coming season, but away from the field the two will now be business partners.
The sports industry newspaper Front Office Sports reported that Allen was among a group of investors that raised close to $150 million for an investment firm co-founded by the new starting quarterback of the New York Jets. The company, RX Growth Partners, has drawn in some big-name backers, the report noted.
“Fellow NFL quarterbacks Josh Allen and Jared Goff invested in the fund alongside retired swimmer Michael Phelps, as well as celebrities Miles Teller, Vanessa Hudgens, Machine Gun Kelly, Christina Aguilera, Marshmello, and Thomas Rhett,” the outlet reported.
Aaron Rodgers Describes Business Venture
The investment firm launched five years ago and has a wide-ranging portfolio of sports and health-related investments that includes the rowing machine Hydrow and golf simulator Full Swing, Front Office Sports reported.
It also has a connection to another famous investor, the report added.
“The firm’s new $150 million fund will focus its investments on consumer-facing brands. Comedian Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures also serves as an advisor to RX3, whose co-founders also include Nate Raabe and Byron Roth,” the outlet reported.
The report did not note the size of Allen’s investment or whether he will have any direct involvement with Rodgers or the firm.
The firm is based in California, but co-founder Nate Raabe told Bloomberg that they are now considering opening an office in New York as Rodgers takes over as the starter for the Jets.
Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers Formed Friendship Off the Field
Though they have only faced each other twice before, Rodgers and Allen have managed to grow close thanks to a shared interest off the field — golf. Both have competed in the AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm in each of the last two years and also faced off in a televised golf match where Rodgers played with Tom Brady and Allen with Patrick Mahomes.
The two crossed paths again at the Kentucky Derby, where Allen said they got the chance to talk for a bit. Allen shared praise for the former league MVP, saying he tries to emulate parts of Rodgers’ game.
“He’s one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time,” Allen said in an appearance on “Kyle Brandt’s Basement.” “I think he’s the most gifted thrower of all time. His body mechanics, like I try to emulate what he does. And I’ve been such a big fan of him for a long time and to have the relationship that we have, it’s surreal to me.”
But Allen has also downplayed the significance of Rodgers coming to the Bills’ divisional rival, telling Brandt that he still expects the division to be a difficult climb for the Bills no matter what.
“He’s definitely a bad man. But at the end of the day, it’s still football,” Allen said. “The goal doesn’t change — it doesn’t matter who’s back there throwing passes for the opposing team. We’re trying to go out there and score more points than them.”
Aaron Rodgers will make his Jets debut on Monday Night Football against Josh Allen and the Bills 🍿
Allen and Rodgers will have plenty of spotlight for their first game as divisional rivals, with the Bills and Jets meeting on Monday Night Football in Week 1.