Getty New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers at The 76th Annual Tony Awards in 2023.
Yesterday on June 19, a photograph of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers began making the rounds on social media.
It was originally shared by Proactive Sports Performance on Instagram, but it wasn’t long before it was trending on Twitter and other platforms. “When two MVPs walk into the gym…. #WhatAreYouCapableOf,” the post read, with Rodgers and four-time NBA scoring champ and former MVP Kevin Durant locking hands.
Although the pair of sports legends were pictured inside Durant’s arena, both appeared to be working out, or having just finished a training session. The original photo has over 3,700 likes in just about 24 hours.
The Pat McAfee Show Dissects the Aaron Rodgers, Kevin Durant Photo With the Help of an Insider
The following afternoon on June 20, the very popular Pat McAfee Show caught wind of Rodgers’ photo with “KD.” With the help of ex-Green Bay Packers teammate A.J. Hawk, they discussed the viral “hang” between the two superstar athletes.
Aaron Rodgers and KD were hanging aht
“Have they always been buds?” McAfee questioned after bringing up the story. “Seems like a great relationship possibility with the limited we know about Kevin Durant.”
“Business savvy, dog, doesn’t mind the social media stuff, reads into things, smokes, does all that,” McAfee went on, adding: “Feels like him and Aaron would be f******, like, best friends potentially.”
That’s where McAfee brought in Hawk, his co-host and Rodgers aficionado.
“I don’t know if he had a previous relationship with KD,” Hawk responded, “I know this is where [Rodgers] always works out in the offseason up there, so has KD always been there? I’m not sure.”
McAfee agreed with the tail-end of Hawk’s point, noting that Rodgers has also been pictured at Proactive Sports Performance training facility with Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari in years past, as well as Jets WR Allen Lazard earlier this spring.
“That workout place seems to be fantastic,” McAfee concluded, adding that he’d “love to be a fly on the wall” of any conversation between Rodgers and Durant.
On their website, Proactive Sports Performance features several star athletes and celebrities, including Rodgers, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, Buffalo Bills pass rusher Von Miller, NBA stars Paul George and Karl-Anthony Towns, tennis champ Naomi Osaka, actor John David Washington, New York Knicks youngster Obi Toppin and more. The 18,000-square foot training facility is located in Westlake Village, California, and was founded by Ryan Capretta.
New Yorkers Will Hope Jets Landing Aaron Rodgers Turns Out Better Than Nets Pursuit of Kevin Durant
Of course, Rodgers and Durant have something else in common. The latter was one of the recent big-name superstars to come to New York in the hopes of bringing a championship to one of the more famous cities on the planet.
Unfortunately, KD failed to do so with the Brooklyn Nets and has since been traded to the Phoenix Suns. Now it’s Rodgers turn with the Jets.
Durant did help his team win a playoff series in Brooklyn but considering the expectations, that wasn’t enough of a return on investment.
Rodgers will have to satisfy the same high hopes of Jets fans. His acquisition isn’t about ending the playoff drought in 2023, or even winning the division for the first time since 2002, it’s about getting to the Super Bowl — and potentially — hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for just the second time in the franchise’s long and painful history.
If Rodgers can do that, he won’t just be a Jets legend, he’ll be an all-time New York athlete too.