Pat McAfee 'happy' Aaron Rodgers' weekly appearances during NFL season are over, as scrutiny gets 'real loud'
Rodgers made waves with comments on McAfee's show over the last 2 weeks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Aaron Rodgers’ weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" is done for the rest of the NFL season, the ESPN radio host said on Wednesday.
Over the last two weeks, Rodgers has drawn negativity toward the show over his comments about Jimmy Kimmel and the Jeffrey Epstein list. Rodgers did not appear to make anything easier for Pat McAfee on Tuesday, when he elaborated on his remarks and took a swipe at an ESPN executive.
The former Indianapolis Colts punter appeared to lament the scrutiny Rodgers brought to the show.
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Pat McAfee reacts in the first half between the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines during the 2024 CFP National Championship game at NRG Stadium on Jan. 8, 2024 in Houston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
"So, Aaron Rodgers Tuesday Season 4 is done," McAfee said, kicking off his program Wednesday. "There’s gonna be a lot of people who are happy about that, myself included to be honest. The way it ended – it got real loud. I’m happy that that is not gonna be in my mentions going forward which is great news."
McAfee maintained that he has the right to the creative process despite people who do not want to see him succeed in the space that he is in.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He said he understood, though, that those naysayers have been given a lot to work with as far as levying criticism goes.
"Over the last week, we have certainly given them all a lot of stuff to get mad about and become loud about. We messed up in that particular aspect and by we I mean we’re a conversation show, people are having conversations. We live in a country that has freedom of speech, but also you’re gonna have to deal with the consequences of your freedom of speech," he said.
Aaron Rodgers went viral on social media for jamming out at the Taylor Swift concert. (Elsa/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"So, what I’m saying is we’re giving a lot people who’ve been waiting for us to fail a lot of ammo in things to attack us for over the last week and we would love to get back to the point where we just move on and continue to silence all the haters over here who can’t negotiate as good as I can. All the people over here who can’t create as good a show as us and all the people up here who will always be here and they’re gonna hustle and do their thing and I respect, but we need to do that and that is our focus and that is our goal."
McAfee added that he felt lucky to be able to get a chance to talk to Rodgers every week but was happy he did not have to get pulled into any more Wednesday conversations about the things he would say.
Pat McAfee points towards fans while walking on the 18th fairway during Round One of the 2022 American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on July 8, 2022 in Stateline, Nevada. (Isaiah Vazquez/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
"Some of his thoughts and opinions, though, so p-ss off a lot of people. 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. On Friday, I threw us into the fire as well – forever stand by that.
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"Everything else, though, like, just can’t do that and not what we want to be known for. And I’m also pumped I don’t have to do these types of talks anymore."
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