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The New York Jets reportedly don't "believe" quarterback Aaron Rodgers will serve as independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio on Saturday (March 16).
Rodgers, 40, hasn't, however, notified the Jets of a decision as he's been off the grid this week, according to Florio. The four-time NFL MVP was limited to just four snaps before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in his Jets debut last September, months after being acquired by the team in a trade with the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers is currently set to make a base salary of $3,161,112 and a signing bonus of $35 million in 2024, according to Spotrac.com. Kennedy named Rodgers -- as well as wrestling legend turned former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura -- as a potential running mate for the 2024 election in an exclusive interview with the New York Times. Rodgers has no political experience, but has publicly endorsed Kennedy, sharing the hashtag "kennedy2024" on social media dating back to last April and was seen hiking with the candidate at an undisclosed location last month.
The 40-year-old has publicly shared his skepticism of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is a major focus of Kennedy's campaign. On Thursday (March 14), broke his silence after being accused of having private conversations in which he shared conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting amid Kennedy's admitted interest in him as a potential running mate.
"As I’m on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place. Again, I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to prevent unnecessary loss of life. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community," Rodgers wrote on his X account.
Rodgers' response came after CNN's report that two sources, including reporter Pamela Brown, who broke the story, claimed he had "enthusiastically shared" the Sandy Hook conspiracies in the past. Brown said she met Rodgers, 40, while covering the Kentucky Derby for CNN in 2013.
Rodgers reportedly attacked the news media, claiming it covered up important stories, specifically mentioning the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six adults, and claimed the mass shooting was a government inside job that the media intentionally ignored after Brown said she worked for the cable news network.
Rodgers then reportedly shared various since-disproven theories when questioned by Brown on the evidence for his claims, many of which were later at the center of lawsuits brought on by the Sandy Hook victims' families in their lawsuit against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.