Sidelined New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers challenged Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on Tuesday to debate the effectiveness of Covid vaccines.
The pro football standouts have been trading barbs since Rodgers mocked Kelce for partnering with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in a campaign to encourage people to get their flu shots and Covid vaccinations.
Rodgers mocked Kelce, calling him “Mr. Pfizer,” before fans fired back at him, pointing out that he is “Mr. Johnson & Johnson” playing for the Jets — owned by Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical heir Woody Johnson.
“Who knew I’d get into the vax wars with Aaron Rodgers, man?” Kelce joked with reporters last week. “Mr. Pfizer versus the Johnson & Johnson family over there.”
Rodgers didn’t mention Kelce’s name in his weekly check-in on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, but he clearly had him in mind when he referred to the ongoing debate.
“I made a tiny little joke about a guy shilling for a potentially … corrupt company and everybody kind of loses their minds,” Rodgers said.
“Mr. Pfizer said he didn’t think he would be in vax war with me. This ain’t a war, homie. This is just conversation,” the amused Rodgers continued. “But if you want to have some sort of duel, debate, have me on the podcast, come on the show, let us have a conversation.”
Rodgers’ bit included talk of proxy fighters in a comparison to the movie “John Wick: Chapter 4.”
“I’m going to take my man RFK Jr., independent, and he can have, you know, Tony Fauci or some other pharmacrat and we can have a conversation about this,” Rodgers said, mentioning independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a noted anti-vaccine activist.
In 2021, only months after Covid vaccines were first rolled out, Rodgers admitted to having made “misleading” comments by saying he was “immunized” against Covid-19, which was taken to mean he had been vaccinated.
Rodgers eventually disclosed he hadn’t been vaccinated but had instead taken ivermectin, a drug typically used on livestock and pushed by podcaster Joe Rogan.
Both Covid and flu shots are overwhelmingly safe and effective.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual flu shot for everyone ages 6 months and older — ideally in October, when flu cases typically start to rise.
People ages 6 months and older who haven’t gotten Covid shots within the last two months should also get updated Covid vaccinations this fall, according to the CDC.
Kelce stood by his endorsement of vaccination talking to reporters last week.
“I got it because of keeping myself safe, keeping my family safe, the people in this building, so yeah, I stand by it 1,000%” he said. “I’m fully comfortable with him calling me Mr. Pfizer.”
Before this recent vaccine debate, Kelce had also been in the national spotlight because of his increasingly public relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift.
She attended his Chiefs games on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, drawing many Swifties to football for the first time.
And in the process the pair have increasingly become the targets of conservative vitriol. For years, Swift has urged her young fans to register to vote.
Aria Bendix and Matthew Grimson contributed.
