5 most disliked people in the NFL ft. Aaron Rodgers and Antonio Brown
The NFL is America's most-watched professional sports league for a few different and distinct reasons.
One reason is college football. It is the predominant form of entertainment in the south. When the best players from the SEC, Big 12, etc. make the league, those markets have natural heroes to cheer for at the next level.
For NFL fans not located in the USA's southernmost states, these athletes still maintain that heroic element through their larger-than-life personas and unrivaled gridiron skills.
On the flipside, many stars rub NFL die-hards the wrong way because of those same attributes.
When it comes to NFL villians, any number of causes could turn a fanbase, or multiple fanbases, against an athlete in the blink of an eye. That could be anything from legal troubles to political views to simply being outspoken.
Here are the 5 most disliked people in the NFL
#1 - Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown's infamous walkout during a 28-24 victory for the Buccaneers against the Jets at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will not soon be forgotten. There's just something about taking your ball and leaving while playing for the defending Super Bowl champions that doesn't sit well with NFL fans, no matter the fanbase.
As the story goes, Brown felt he was not in a position to suit up on January 2, and he believes he was callously pushed to play by the Buccaneers training staff. He walked away from the Tampa sideline and took off to the locker room during the third quarter of the game. He later claimed the training staff tried to force him back onto the field, despite having an ankle injury. The official team press release in the aftermath seemed to fly in the face of this:
"While Antonio did receive treatment on his ankle and was listed on the injury report the week leading up to last Sunday's game, he was cleared to play by our medical team prior to the start of the game, and at no point during the game did he indicate to our medical personnel that he could not play. We have attempted, multiple times throughout this week, to schedule an evaluation by an outside orthopedic specialist, yet Antonio has not complied. Maintaining the health and wellness of our players is of the utmost importance to our organization."
Whether you believe Brown or not, you probably wouldn't approve of his actions if you subscribe to any sort of professionalism.
#2 - Baker Mayfield
Until this current offseason, Baker Mayfield had always been likable. It's hard not to feel for the guy when the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft promised he'd still be starting and then traded for a guy that hadn't played since the 2020 season, later giving the acquired player a $230 million extension.
That said, his response--going on the Ya Never Know podcast and putting the Browns on blast for destroying his trust--could cost him money and, perhaps, an NFL starting job altogether.
#3 - Tom Brady
Everyone from a city that holds an AFC East team has already hated Tom Brady for his unrivaled dominance for 18 full seasons as the starting QB for the Patriots. New Englanders, then, hopped on the bandwagon in 2020 when Brady left Bill Belichick high and dry for West Florida.
Buccaneers fans may not be far behind given recent rumors of a coup to join the Miami Dolphins as both a part-owner and player this past February. Bruce Arians was likely fired to appease him, and he may bolt Tampa in 2023 to follow through on his plan.
Whoever hasn't already hated Brady may change their tune when they learn that he was going to have strings pulled to circumvent the Rooney Rule and have Sean Payton hired by Miami as part of the aforementioned coup.
#4 - Kirk Cousins
If you're wondering whether Kirk Cousins is hated or not by fans, look no further than the fan reactions to his recent $35 million extension with the Minnesota Vikings for your answer (via Vikingswire):
@KirkCousins8 If you took less money the Vikings could afford the blockers you so desperately need. Because you choke under pressure.
@KirkCousins8 Please just choose a team you want to be traded to, as I'd rather have a less selfish QB play with the Vikings. I have zero trust in your ability to lead this team rather than protect your stats.
What the Vikings did with the excitement and enthusiasm from the new front office and coach.
@Vikings
#skol
#kirkcousins
#8-9 https://t.co/EoKp4boeUJ
Cousins has put his foot in his mouth time and again regarding issues related to the COVID vaccination, even going as far as to say he'd use plexiglass to avoid getting the virus.
This, plus his underperformance as a highly compensated QB the past seven years has led to fans not being all too big of a fan of the former 102nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
#5 - Aaron Rodgers
Speaking of COVID vaccination status turning an NFL star into a villian, it doesn't get much more polarizing than Aaron Rodgers' opinion on the matter. The Packers QB has become public enemy No. 1 to many for his personal opinion on something that he must've known would get people talking.
To Rodgers' credit, he knows that his words led to a firestorm that burned more than just himself. He recently apologized on The Pat McAfee Show for how the situation affected those closest to him:
"One thing that I am sad about and definitely apologetic is I didn't realize in the midst of the Covid conversations how much my situation was affecting my loved ones and my people. The people that support me and love me and check on me and take care of me. I didn't realize the kind of shrapnel that was kind of being flaked off of what I felt like were the bullets coming at me because I was too locked in on me and defending myself and trying to get a message out."
Fair or not, Rodgers not partaking in NFL Health and Safety protocols during the 2021 NFL season will forever cast him in a bad light for certain fans who were once big fans of Green Bay's all-time great gunslinger.