Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is nearing the end of his NFL career, but he continues to draw attention for his opinions off the field.
His latest criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci is another example, and FS1 analyst Nick Wright had plenty to say about Rodgers following his latest tirade.
Aaron Rodgers’ Dr. Fauci Blast Draws Brutal Response From Nick Wright
Rodgers reignited his long-running criticism of the government’s COVID-19 response in a recent appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show,” taking aim at Dr. Anthony Fauci and joking about exercising his Fifth Amendment rights.
Rodgers strongly criticized Fauci, labeling him an “absolute coward” after the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a tense Senate hearing led by Sen. Rand Paul.
Rodgers also broadened his criticism to ESPN, despite “The Pat McAfee Show” airing on the network. McAfee and his co-hosts attempted to move the discussion in another direction, but Rodgers remained firm in his stance.
Rodgers may have found some support for his latest comments, but Wright strongly criticized the quarterback on his podcast.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
“Aaron has created this fake universe of martyrdom where he took a stand no one else was willing to take,” Wright said. “He paid (a) heavy price for it. That’s not what [expletive] happened. Aaron got criticized because he lied without directly lying, knew he was doing it, and people didn’t like that.
“Instead of having the courage of his convictions, six years ago, he instead passed the buck, did a play on the words, ‘Yeah, I’ve been immunized,’ and then kept that ruse running until he got caught. That’s what he was criticized for.”
Nick reacts to Aaron Rodgers most recent appearance on the Pat McAfee show. pic.twitter.com/50CxTZgFBL
— What’s Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) August 7, 2026
NFL players who did not take the COVID-19 vaccine were required to undergo daily testing and follow additional restrictions during the 2021 season. Rodgers remained unvaccinated, explaining that he was allergic to an ingredient found in the vaccines.
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
However, Rodgers said he had been “immunized” and did not follow all the protocols required of unvaccinated players. He eventually tested positive for COVID-19 and acknowledged that he had “misled” people about his vaccination status.
Despite Rodgers’ continued defense of his position, Wright said the quarterback brought much of the criticism upon himself.
“He got more and more criticized because he wouldn’t stop talking about this years later,” Wright said. “And then kept upping the ante on his kooky conspiratorial stuff when he tried to bring Jimmy Kimmel into the Epstein list and the other nonsense he tried to peddle. Just all this just mouth vomit [expletive] that people got sick of.
“To go on top of the fact that he didn’t seem to be a very good leader; a lot of pointing fingers instead of pointing thumbs there was just so much obvious [expletive] that he just became, for a lot of us, a non-credible person and instead of taking any accountability for any of that he’s like, ‘Nope, I just bravely wouldn’t get that toxic shot and now I’ve been proven right and you all owe me an apology.’ It’s just such nonsense.”
Rodgers has never been shy about expressing his opinions, but he is now expected to turn his full attention toward football and finish his career on a strong note. He posted a 71.9 PFN QB Impact grade last season, which ranked No. 29 nationally.
