Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named NFL MVP for the fourth time in his career on Friday. Rodgers won the award after a season filled with significant flak from left wing activists and sportswriters over his vaccination status. The future NFL hall of famer was a vocal critic of vaccine mandates and COVID-19 measures throughout the season.
Rodgers took home the award for the second consecutive season after throwing for 37 touchdowns against just four interceptions. This was good for a quarterback rating of 111.9. Though his team was bounced from the playoffs in the divisional round, Rodgers and the Packers clinched the top seed in the NFC after posting a regular season record of 13-4.
The season was filled with plenty of outside noise, however, as Rodgers was repeatedly criticized over his vaccination status. It was revealed midway through the season that Rodgers was not vaccinated, prompting outrage from left wing activists and sports writers after they were led to believe otherwise. When Rodgers contracted COVID himself, he reportedly contacted Joe Rogan in search of advice after the podcast host beat the virus with a regimen that included naturally occurring vitamins, ivermectin and monoclonal antibodies.
Some sports pundits said Rodgers’ vaccination status should disqualify him from MVP consideration. Hub Arkush — a sportswriter and MVP voter — said his mind was made up about Rodgers before the season even began. “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 on Chicago’s 670 The Score.
Rodgers torched Arkush when asked about his comments during a January press conference. “I think he’s a bum,” Rodgers said of Arkush. “I think he’s an absolute bum.”
“He doesn’t know me. I don’t know who he is. No one knew who he was probably until yesterday’s comments,” Rodgers continued.
“His problem isn’t with me being a bad guy or the biggest jerk in the league because he doesn’t know me….His problem is I’m not vaccinated.”
Aaron Rodgers just teed off on the NFL MVP voter who said he wouldn’t vote for him because of off field issues. “He’s a bum…His problem is that I’m not vaccinated.” This is great, enjoy: https://t.co/d1t3THdwZB
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 5, 2022
In December, President Biden criticized Rodgers over his vaccination status. “Tell your quarterback he’s got to get the vaccine,” Biden said to a man who was wearing a Green Bay Packers hat. Biden made the remark to a survivor of December’s deadly tornados while surveying storm damage. Rodgers later pushed back at Biden and his “fake White House” over his remarks, as well as the president’s use of the term “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
“When the president of the United States says, ‘This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,’ it’s because him and his constituents, which, I don’t know how there are any if you watch any of his attempts at public speaking, but I guess he got 81 million votes,” Rodgers said of Biden last month.
Rodgers — now 38 — thanked the Packers organization upon bringing home the award. The future hall of famer has been the subject of considerable trade speculation and could find himself playing for another organization come next season.
