Why You Don't See Aaron Rodgers On State Farm Commercials Anymore
Turns out, you're most likely to hear the phrase "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there" when you're watching NFL games. That's because insurance companies like State Farm have gone all in on sports marketing after realizing that consumers react well to seeing quarterbacks in their ads. When we say quarterbacks, we're talking about Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, two of the league's most recognizable players. Rodgers has been the face of State Farm since 2011, the same year he won Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers. Coincidence? Probably not.
Casual viewers and NFL fans alike are familiar with the "Discount Double Check" and the "Rodgers Rate," but as of 2023, it's all about the "Patrick Price." That's because State Farm announced its decision to part ways with Rodgers as of August 2023, per Sportico. In a statement, State Farm said, "We wish Aaron the best in his future endeavors," but did not comment about why they'd chosen to end the partnership. Still, a decades-long partnership is "incredibly rare," as EVP of Octagon, David Schwab, said. "Keeping a similar brand narrative for that length of time in player sponsorship tells you a lot about the mutual value and success of it," he added.
Successful though the partnership may have been, there's no denying Rodgers has been in hot water in recent years, notably for comments he made about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Aaron Rodgers controversy
We don't have explicit confirmation from State Farm, but there's a lot of evidence that Aaron Rodgers may not be as marketable, nor as likable, as he once was. Let's look at his controversial comments for proof. In 2021, Rodgers misled people into thinking he was vaccinated against COVID-19 by telling reporters that he was "immunized." He eventually contracted coronavirus, and the truth came to light. At the time, State Farm released a statement backing the quarterback. "Aaron Rodgers has been a great ambassador for our company for much of the past decade," they said in a statement to USA Today. "We don't support some of the statements that he has made, but we respect his right to have his own personal point of view."
But it got worse. Rodgers explained that he'd been leaning on his friend Joe Rogan for advice, despite the fact Rogan himself was slammed for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 on his podcast. Then, in a bombshell 2022 interview with Rogan on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rodgers said that he'd been purposely obtuse about his vaccination status. He'd also expounded upon his controversial approach to health, touching on the fact he'd once played an NFL game under the influence of Percocet. Fast forward to 2023, and Rodgers continues to offend people with his unique beliefs, like the time he claimed Jimmy Kimmel had ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein. In response, Kimmel threatened legal action.
At this point, maybe State Farm is just looking out for themselves.
Aaron Rodgers' woes continue
Perhaps there wouldn't be as much attention on Aaron Rodgers' comments if he was excelling on the field, but the four-time MVP has been sidelined throughout the 2023-24 season due to an Achilles injury. This was set to be his first season with the New York Jets after he and the Green Bay franchise parted ways on not-so-great terms. Unfortunately, it ended on a low note for the Jets, who ping-ponged between three other quarterbacks and finished the season with a 7-10 record, missing out on the playoffs.
Currently, Rodgers is 40 years old and nearing the end of his life span as an active quarterback. Prior to the 2023 season, he was vague about his future in the sport, explaining that he planned to play "for the foreseeable future," as per NFL.com. Many do still expect him to make a return in 2024, including New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. "Whenever Aaron's got his mind set on something, good luck for anybody that wants to change his mind," Hackett joked in September (via SI). Still, even the NFL greats have a shelf life, as Tom Brady proved earlier in 2023. And "retirement" doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "discount double check."
Without State Farm, Rodgers is foregoing the annual $3 million he pocketed from the insurance giant. Meanwhile, State Farm is just fine. They have the next big thing in Patrick Mahomes.