Getty Bears insider Hub Arkush says Aaron Rodgers won't be getting his MVP vote.
Longtime Chicago Bears insider and beat writer Hub Arkush has come under fire for his controversial take on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
There are 50 writers chosen by the Associated Press every year to vote on the NFL’s MVP, and Arkush will be one of them this year.
In a January 4 appearance on 670 The Score’s Parkins & Spiegel Show, Arkush, who serves as executive editor of Pro Football Weekly while also covering the Bears for Shaw Media, revealed that he won’t be voting for Rodgers for MVP, and he made it clear his vote was more about Rodgers’ off the field performance than it was anything else.
“I just think that the way he’s carried himself is inappropriate,” Arkush said about Rodgers. “I think he’s a bad guy, and I don’t think a bad guy can be the most valuable guy at the same time.”
Hub Arkush has an NFL MVP vote & it won’t be going to Aaron Rodgers.
Admits he’s the best player on the field & that the Packers are the Super Bowl favorites, but mentions he hurt his team in the offseason.
Says Rodgers is a bad guy.
REWIND link—
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Arkush Cites Rodgers’ Pre-Season Behavior as Primary Reason
Arkush didn’t mention Rodgers lying about his vaccination status or any of the Packers’ quarterback’s comments this season as reasons to not vote for him to win MVP. Instead, he went back to before the season began, citing Rodgers’ offseason behavior as the chief reason the Packers QB won’t be getting his vote for MVP.
Rodgers wanted a bigger voice in the organization, and he wanted more clout when it comes to personnel decisions, so he chose not to report to the team until late July, missing organized team activities while also initially confusing his teammates about whether or not he would return.
“I don’t think you can be the biggest jerk in the league and punish your team, and your organization and your fan base the way he did and be the Most Valuable Player,” Arkush said about Rodgers.
“Has he been the most valuable on the field? Yeah, you could make that argument, but I don’t think he is clearly that much more valuable than Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Kupp or maybe even Tom Brady. So from where I sit, the rest of it is why he’s not gonna be my choice.”
Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!
Twitter Blasts Arkush for His Take
Naturally, Twitter had a ton to say about Arkush’s comments.
Some fans and analysts blasted Arkush for making the MVP vote about off the field antics as opposed to on-field production.
Others pointed out the fact that Arkush covers a team Rodgers has…what’s the word? Owned?
I think we all know the moment that Hub Arkush decided he wouldn’t vote for Aaron Rodgers as MVP…
Many were just left confused:
Others called for Arkush to lose his vote:
Hub Arkush has made a mockery of sports media by letting his feelings impact his valuable MVP vote because he thinks Aaron Rodgers is a “bad guy.” Pathetic and more than worthy of losing his vote. Smh!
“Do I think he’s gonna win it? Probably,” Arkush said, before admitting he may not be doing the best thing by revealing how he’s planning to vote. “A lot of voters don’t approach it the way I do, but others do, who I’ve spoken to. But one of the ways we get to keep being voters is we’re not allowed to say who we are voting for until after the award has been announced. I’m probably pushing the envelope by saying who I’m not voting for. But we’re not really supposed to reveal our votes.”
Arkush also noted he won’t be the only AP voter going this route.
“I can guarantee you I will not be the only one not voting for him,” Arkush added.
READ NEXT: Bears’ HC Matt Nagy Takes Veiled Shot at His Defense