Aaron Rodgers' controversial comments may prevent him from following Tom Brady's path into media
Aaron Rodgers has been a media darling for years. He is a regular in State Farm commercials and seemed to be on a path to hosting the game show Jeopardy! if he wanted the job. He is witty, charming, and intelligent, and no one ever questioned why companies used him as the face of their operations during his time with the Green Bay Packers.
But things changed in 2021, specifically with his comments regarding COVID-19 and the available vaccines. Fans already know the story: the quarterback went on The Pat McAfee Show and explained that although he claimed to be "immunized," he did not want a vaccine. Unfortunately, his talk came off as more of a rant, and soundbites were pulled to make him look foolish.
Rodgers ended up clarifying and apologizing for causing a distraction. Yet the damage was done from the start, and fans around the NFL were left shocked at what he had to say.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady did his own thing in terms of media. He had his TB12 empire but was not trying to host any game shows. That has all changed with his whopping 10-year, $375 million deal with FOX Sports that will begin upon his retirement.
Networks only have limited spots, and Brady has snagged one of the biggest in the world. Given his controversial comments, Rodgers may officially be out of the running for future openings of this nature.
Aaron Rodgers may have missed the boat being guided by Tom Brady
All of the major networks have their announcing teams in place. FOX just added Brady, while CBS seems content to stick with Tony Romo for a long time. ESPN is paying a fortune to Troy Aikman, while NBC has no reason to move on from Chris Collinsworth anytime soon.
So what does that leave for Rodgers? There's big money in a color commentator's job with a network. Yet Brady snatched up the last big one remaining and signed a decade-long deal. Could that job have been waiting for Rodgers instead if he wanted it?
Brady is the bigger star of the two. However, his counterpart is still an NFL superstar and already has experience in media. Yet no one wants to commit $375 million to someone who may be too outspoken for such a position. The networks want their broadcasting crew to stick to football and avoid hot-button topics such as the COVID-19 vaccine.
The fascinating thing here is that both quarterbacks are still playing in the NFL. Yet Brady is the only one with a lucrative job after football. Time will tell if Rodgers can earn big after his football career. Yet his comments may mean he must go a more alternative route, such as a type of show like the one his friend Pat McAfee hosts. That way, he can say whatever he wants.