It appears as though New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers won’t be hitting the campaign trail this year after all.
Rodgers, reportedly a vice presidential candidate for Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, is out of the running, according to a report from Diana Falzone of Mediaite. Kennedy reportedly is setting his sights on California attorney Nicole Shanahan as his running mate, per Falzone.
Rodgers, 40, was named as a potential running mate for Kennedy on an independent ticket, along with former Minnesota governor, WWF wrestler and actor Jesse Ventura.
The outspoken Rodgers hasn’t been shy about expressing his opinions on a variety of political matters, from public comments about the COVID-19 vaccine to his reported belief in conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting, which he denied Thursday.
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The four-time NFL MVP, who has supported Kennedy’s message and 2024 run on social media, reportedly has been speaking with the politician “pretty continuously” about a run over the course of the past month.
The reported consideration from Kennedy sparked plenty of reactions from NFL fans, pundits and Rodgers’s teammates, as well as questions as to how the outspoken QB would manage the grueling workload of an NFL season and a political campaign.
Rodgers was dealt to the Jets in a blockbuster trade last offseason, then suffered a season-ending Achilles tear just four snaps into his New York career.
It appears as if his focus will indeed be on a rebound campaign—rather than a political one—with the Jets in 2024.
Rodgers will enter his 20th season in the NFL when the Jets open training camp this summer.
