Aaron Rodgers invokes Anthony Fauci while dodging Pat McAfee question

Peanut butter, jelly and bread. Salt, vinegar and potato chips. Aaron Rodgers, the “Pat McAfee Show” and political rambling. All classic trios.

The veteran quarterback joined ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show” from Pittsburgh Steelers training camp Monday, Aug. 3, and made it clear he had a lot to get off his chest. Asked about his mindset going into his final season in the NFL after 21 completed years in the league, Rodgers instead railed against former Chief Medical Advisor to the President Anthony Fauci.

“I’m gonna plead the Fifth,” Rodgers said. “Like that absolute coward Tony Fauci. Absolute coward. Are you kidding me?”

Rodgers’ refusal to answer the question was a tongue-in-cheek call-out of Fauci, who invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, July 29. The Steelers‘ quarterback, who famously misled the media about his COVID-19 vaccination status in 2021, has long been critical of Fauci and the U.S. government’s handling of the COVID epidemic. He went on to criticize Fauci for more than two minutes in his latest “Pat McAfee Show” appearance.
slams ESPN

Rodgers then pivoted to call out ESPN for what he called a failure to provide enough coverage about the scandal involving former NFL insider Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

“What is the network doing?” Rodgers said. “You have literally an individual that maybe used to work at ESPN that covers our league at the highest level, and there’s a major scandal, and it’s just like nobody can (expletive) talk about it? What are we even doing here?”

Russini worked at ESPN from 2015 until 2023, when she took a job with The Athletic as their primary NFL insider.

The 42-year-old quarterback said that there should have been more scrutiny about Russini’s involvement as a media member who voted on past NFL MVP and Coach of the Year awards. Rodgers compared the incident to his NFL MVP win after the 2021 season, when Chicago Bears writer and MVP voter Hub Arkush said he would not give Rodgers his vote due to the quarterback’s off-field behavior.

“That’s real life,” Rodgers said. “How are we allowing these people to have an impact?”

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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, drafted 24th overall by the Green Bay Packers, poses with family and friends during the 2005 NFL Draft at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on April 23, 2005.

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell presents the Super Bowl MVP trophy to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at a news conference on Feb. 7, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to win Super Bowl 45.

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Aaron Rodgers celebrates the Super Bowl 45 title with Green Bay Packer fans during a Return to Titletown Celebration on Feb. 8, 2011 at Lambeau Field.

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Aaron Rodgers is shown with back up quarterbacks Tim Boyle (left) and Jordan Love during the team’s training camp in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Aug. 24, 2020.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles as he is hit by the Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. The Texans’ Sheldon Rankins (90) returned the fumble for a touchdown as Houston went on to a 30-6 wild-card playoff win at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 12, 2026.

Russini resigned from her job at The Athletic on April 14 amid questions about her relationship with Vrabel.

Rodgers and the Steelers are set to kick off the veteran quarterback’s farewell tour on Sept. 13, when they host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the regular season.