Getty Aaron Rodgers is under consideration to be RFK Jr.'s VP, reports say.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is being floated as a potential vice presidential candidate by presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And Rodgers made it known he’s open to it.
The idea is being taken seriously enough that it made The New York Times, which broke the story.
“Yes, Mr. Kennedy did share with the New York Times that he’s considering Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura as running mates along with others on a short list,” RFK Jr.’s campaign told Heavy in an email.
The Times reported that RFK Jr. has approached Rodgers about being his VP, and Rodgers isn’t ruling it out. Kennedy is running for president as an independent. It’s unclear whether Rodgers would actually agree to such an idea and whether RFK Jr. will formally make the offer, but the QB and RFK Jr. have expressed similar positions on vaccines over the years, and Rodgers has a history of support for Kennedy. The former Green Bay Packer last voiced his support for RFK Jr. on March 8.
NBC News confirmed The Times’ reporting indicating that, yes, this idea is actually real.
Of course, that must make the Jets pretty anxious.
On March 8, the New York Jets’ website trumpeted, “Jets QB Aaron Rodgers ‘Hopeful’ He Can Play 3 to 4 More Seasons.” That article, which ran before the VP news broke, said that Rodgers “will return to the field in 2024 after rupturing his Achilles tendon four snaps into his Jets regular-season debut.” A surprise political twist in Rodgers’ career would obviously throw the Jets a curve ball.
Here’s what you need to know:
Aaron Rodgers Has ‘Welcomed the Overtures,’ the Report Says
GettyNew York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The Times initially based its reporting on two unnamed sources but then revealed that Kennedy himself had confirmed that Rodgers was at the top of his list – along with another unusual choice.
That person is Jesse Ventura, the former professional wrestler who was once elected the governor of Minnesota, running as a Reform Party candidate.
“He’s considering Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura as running mates along with others on a short list,” a spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign told NBC on March 12. “No other details available.”
Why when the Aaron Rodgers news broke the Jets social media team try to post the new signings… something is WRONG at 1 Jets drive 👀
According to the Times, Rodgers has actually “welcomed the overtures,” as has Ventura. According to The Times, it was not known whether RFK Jr. had actually offered either man the position versus just floating the idea.
Kennedy told The Times that he “had been speaking with Mr. Rodgers ‘pretty continuously’ for the past month.” Rodgers did not comment to the Times or other news outlets. Heavy has reached out to the Kennedy campaign for comment.
Aaron Rodgers Previously Endorsed RFK Jr. for President
Rodgers has endorsed RFK Jr. for president, NBC News reported. The QB also shared a video by RFK Jr. on March 8, doubling down on his support, and writing on his X page, “This is presidential. #Kennedy24 #RFK.”
In that post, Rodgers shared a video by RFK Jr. that the presidential candidate posted after President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
According to Fox News, Rodgers “has been outspoken about his support for Kennedy,” once referring to him as “my man” and saying he would “like to be in a tag-team match with Kennedy as his partner against Dr. Anthony Fauci and ‘Mr. Pfizer’ Travis Kelce.” He made that comment on “The Pat McAfee Show,” according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
According to Fox News, Rodgers “has said there is an ingredient in the vaccine he is allergic to.” RFK Jr., an environmental lawyer, is well-known for voicing concerns about vaccines.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Rodgers previously referred to politics as a “sham,” saying he was not interested in it.
According to The Journal Sentinel, though, Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” in October: “I believe in medical freedom and informed consent, and I’m voting for Robert Kennedy Jr.”
The Jets’ X page was silent on the VP talk.
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