Aaron Rodgers opened a pretty big can of worms on The Pat McAfee Show this Monday. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback let loose against Dr. Anthony Fauci over the controversy surrounding the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Rodgers’ outspoken comments quickly drew sharp criticism as one Green Bay Packers reporter decided to make his voice heard.
Aaron Rodgers’ ESPN Appearance Spirals Into Controversy
Fauci was one of the most prominent public health voices during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases testified before a Senate committee last week after Sen. Rand Paul released Fauci’s diary entries spanning from 2019 through 2022.
During the hearing, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment, refusing to say anything that might be used to incriminate him.
Appearing live on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN from Steelers training camp, Rodgers reignited the controversy by launching into a pointed criticism of Fauci. The exchange began when host Pat McAfee asked Rodgers a routine football question about his mindset entering the upcoming season.
Instead of giving a football-related answer, Rodgers jokingly replied that he was going to “plead the Fifth,” before going on an entire tirade against Fauci.
Rodgers’ comments sparked a reaction from Packers writer Peter Bukowski, who strongly criticized the veteran quarterback in a post on X.
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“At the very first chance Aaron Rodgers had to stand up for what he allegedly believed about the vaccine, he took the coward’s way out and lied about it,” Bukowski wrote. “Didn’t stand up for himself until he got caught lying about it. That’s cowardly behavior.”
At the very first chance Aaron Rodgers had to stand up for what he allegedly believed about the vaccine, he took the coward’s way out and lied about it.
Didn’t stand up for himself until he got caught lying about it. That’s cowardly behavior. https://t.co/yNgT03q1Rg
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) August 4, 2026
Rodgers has long been one of Dr. Fauci’s most outspoken critics and has repeatedly questioned the U.S. government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The four-time NFL MVP was not vaccinated against COVID-19, claiming he was allergic to one of the vaccine’s ingredients and later said he used ivermectin while recovering from a COVID infection.
Beyond criticizing Fauci, Rodgers also turned his attention toward ESPN, accusing the network of giving disproportionate coverage to his vaccination controversy during the 2021 NFL season while largely ignoring Fauci’s Senate testimony.
“How much time did the network spend on that?” Rodgers said. “How much time did they spend on my responses every week? On my vaccination status? On Taylor’s [Swift] and Travis’ [Kelce] wedding? Did they do even a minute on Tony Fauci? No, I bet they didn’t.”
Rodgers’ comments were particularly notable given that The Pat McAfee Show is broadcast on ESPN. Despite Rodgers’ criticism, an ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on his remarks.
