Get All Access for $5/mo

Aaron Rodgers Was Making 7 Figures on ESPN's 'Pat McAfee' — But He Just Got Kicked Off the Show After a Spate of Bizarre Behavior The injured New York Jets quarterback drew significant criticism last week.

By Amanda Breen

Key Takeaways

  • Aaron Rodgers' regular appearances on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show" have been canceled.
  • Rodgers faced backlash for spreading medical misinformation and conspiracy theories.

NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers will no longer make his regular Tuesday appearances on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show, at least through the remainder of the season.

The decision comes in the wake of Rodgers' controversial statements including an unfounded suggestion linking talk show host Jimmy Kimmel to Jeffrey Epstein and Rodgers' promotion of conspiracy theories, CNN Business reported.

Image Credit: Icon Sportswire | Getty Images

Related: Aaron Rodgers Went on a Darkness Retreat to Decide His Fate with the NFL

Rodgers, who host McAfee paid seven figures to appear on the program, elicited backlash last week when he falsely accused Jimmy Kimmel of having ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. New court documents recently unsealed in the case name individuals previously connected to Epstein.

"Either he actually believes my name was going to be on Epstein's list, which is insane, or the more likely scenario is he doesn't actually believe that; he just said it because he's mad at me for making fun of his topknot and his lies about being vaccinated," Kimmel said during his opening monologue on Monday.

Kimmel called for Rodgers to apologize, though he was skeptical he would, and the injured New York Jets player did not, per CNN. In his next appearance on Pat McAfee, Rodgers instead went on a conspiratorial rant replete with medical misinformation and attacks on the news media and ESPN executive Mike Foss, who issued an apology for Rodgers' earlier comments.

For most of the segment, Rodgers railed against Covid-19 vaccines — falsely claiming they've caused widespread injuries and death — and promoted the unproven coronavirus treatment ivermectin, The Daily Beast reported.

"I don't understand [Foss's] comment, because he didn't help out either," Rodgers said on Tuesday, per the outlet. "I'm going to quote Mike. He said, 'Aaron made a dumb and factually incorrect joke about Jimmy Kimmel, it should never have happened, we realized that in a moment.' Mike, you are not helping."

Related: The Business of Being Wrong: How Non-Stop Arguing Became a Lucrative Strategy

McAfee acknowledged the situation on Wednesday. "Some of [Rodgers'] thoughts and opinions do piss off a lot of people," McAfee told CNN. "And I'm pumped that is no longer going to be every single Wednesday of my life — which it has been for the last few weeks."

But he also said he wasn't opposed to having Rodgers back on the program in the future.

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

At 16, She Started a Side Hustle While 'Stuck at Home.' Now It's on Track to Earn Over $3.1 Million This Year.

Evangelina Petrakis, 21, was in high school when she posted on social media for fun — then realized a business opportunity.

Health & Wellness

I'm a CEO, Founder and Father of 2 — Here Are 3 Practices That Help Me Maintain My Sanity.

This is a combination of active practices that I've put together over a decade of my intense entrepreneurial journey.

Business News

Remote Work Enthusiast Kevin O'Leary Does TV Appearance Wearing Suit Jacket, Tie and Pajama Bottoms

"Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary looks all business—until you see the wide view.

Business News

Are Apple Smart Glasses in the Works? Apple Is Eyeing Meta's Ran-Ban Success Story, According to a New Report.

Meta has sold more than 700,000 pairs of smart glasses, with demand even ahead of supply at one point.

Money & Finance

The 'Richest' U.S. City Probably Isn't Where You Think It Is

It's not located in New York or California.

Business News

Hybrid Workers Were Put to the Test Against Fully In-Office Employees — Here's Who Came Out On Top

Productivity barely changed whether employees were in the office or not. However, hybrid workers reported better job satisfaction than in-office workers.