Aaron Rodgers has never been afraid to speak his mind, and his latest appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” proved that hasn’t changed.
Now, Anthony Fauci’s attorney is firing back.
Rodgers ripped Fauci earlier this week after the former NIH director invoked his Fifth Amendment right 111 times during a July 29 Senate hearing. Fauci was questioned about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and related policy decisions.
Rodgers didn’t exactly hold back.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback called Fauci an “absolute coward” and questioned why he wouldn’t answer questions after having received a pardon from former President Joe Biden.
That apparently caught the attention of Fauci’s legal team.
Attorney David Schertler responded to Rodgers’ comments in an interview with The Athletic, dismissing the four-time NFL MVP’s criticism with a simple message: “Aaron Rodgers doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He should stick to football.”
And telling Rodgers to “stick to football” probably isn’t going to make him stop talking.
If anything, Rodgers has spent years making it clear that he isn’t interested in limiting himself to sports. His opinions surrounding COVID-19 and vaccines became a national story during his time with the Green Bay Packers, and he has continued discussing controversial issues during his regular appearances with Pat McAfee.
The timing makes this situation even more interesting.
Rodgers is preparing for his 22nd NFL season with Pittsburgh, but instead of the conversation being entirely about football, he’s once again at the center of a national controversy. The Steelers have defended Rodgers’ right to express his opinions, while head coach Mike McCarthy has emphasized keeping the team’s focus on football.
Whether people agree with Rodgers or Fauci isn’t really the point anymore.
Rodgers clearly isn’t going to stop talking about issues outside football simply because someone tells him to.
And after Fauci’s lawyer publicly called him out?
Don’t be surprised if Rodgers has something else to say the next time a microphone is in front of him.
