Aaron Rodgers Unloads On Reporter Who Refuses To Vote Him For MVP
The 2021 football season did not go smoothly for Aaron Rodgers. The controversial NFL star got more attention for his antics off the field than on. Rodgers, who is engaged to Shailene Woodley, refused to get vaccinated and seemed to have lied about his vaccination status to the public.
Part of the problem was that the Green Bay Packers quarterback initially suggested he was protected against COVID-19. Many took his comments to mean that he was vaccinated. However, when he contracted COVID in November, it became clear that Rodgers never received a vaccine. Instead, he was referring to untested natural remedies, per Us Weekly. Fans were not happy about Rodgers perceived betrayal, to say the least. Since the scandal, Rodgers has doubled down, making several controversial appearances on the "Pat McAfee Show." During a recent interview, Rodgers admitted he had doubts he'd win the MVP award this year, thanks to his divisive viewpoints, per USA Today.
If Rodgers was worried about his image then, he should be even more concerned now. Days later Rodgers is in the news again for his less than friendly comments about sports reporter Hub Arkush.
Aaron Rodgers claps back after Hub Arkush calls him 'the biggest jerk in the league'
When asked if Aaron Rodgers was a shoo-in for this year's MVP award, Hub Arkush wasn't so sure. "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," he said during an appearance on "670 the Score," per TMZ.
Rodgers, never one to shy away from controversy, was quick to fire back. "I think he's a bum," Rodgers said of Arkush (via ESPN). "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," he continued. Rodgers likely took the criticism so hard because Arkush is one of 50 voters who select the MVP, per TMZ. "His problem isn't with me being a bad guy or the biggest jerk in the league. He doesn't know me."
Arkush later addressed the incident, stating: "The only thing I can do going forward is respect what I failed to respect last night, and just not talk about it anymore until after the awards have been given." While he apologized for talking about his plan to vote before the actual vote was cast, he notably did not apologize for his feeling about Rodgers' professionalism.
Though Rodgers initially claimed he was "immunized" in August 2021, it soon came to light that he never received a COVID-19 vaccine — a fact that garnered immense backlash, particularly because he was allowed to participate in NFL events that required vaccinations.