Aaron Rodgers‘ New York Jets debut ended in disaster on Monday night, with Rodgers facing what appears to be a season-ending Achilles injury.
But while this is dire news for Rodgers, reactions on social media were far from sympathetic. In fact, many fans took the opportunity to crack jokes about Rodgers’s anti-vaxxer reputation.
Rodgers said back in 2021 that he wasn’t vaccinated against COVID-19, revealing that he’d taken ivermectin as a treatment after “consulting” with Joe Rogan. Since then his vaccination status has become a punchline, coupled with a growing reputation for goofy wellness habits.
So when he injured his ankle during Monday night’s game, a lot of responses went in a predictable direction:
Primarily used in veterinary medicine, the antiparasitic drug ivermectin was touted as a COVID miracle cure during the early months of the pandemic.
There’s no evidence that it’s a useful treatment for COVID, and the FDA warns that large doses can be harmful. However, it’s still popular among anti-vaxxers and controversial right-wing figures like Alex Jones and Marjorie Taylor Greene. To detractors, it’s now synonymous with anti-vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Moreover, Rodger’s debut came on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 in New York City, and he took the field bearing an American flag.
A patriotic, anti-vaxxer proudly displaying the flag inspired a number of supporters of former President Donald Trump, with a number of them sharing the video of his entrance.
“Aaron Rodgers defied the NFL COVID mafia, refused to get vaccinated and promoted ivermectin to his audience of millions,” a user named johnny maga wrote. “This couldn’t have happened to a more deserving player. A rare moment in professional sports that makes you feel something.”
But people pointed out that Aaron Rodgers has been called a 9/11 truther, making his entrance in poor taste given the date of Monday’s game.
“Rodgers carrying the flag of the government he thinks perpetrated 9/11 is the exact mental gymnastics I would expect him to perform,” one user said.
“The New York Jets having Aaron Rodgers, who is a known 9/11 truther, carry the American Flag onto the field on September 11th is certainly a choice lmao,” said another.
Following his potentially career-ending injury, which took place just minutes into the game, social media users began to mock the football star for his controversial viewpoints.
“Aaron Rodgers believing that 9/11 was a hoax… then having his season opener in NY on 9/11… only to lose his ankle minutes into the game…” another tweeted. “The script writers this year are really doing their thing.”
Others quickly pushed back, however, by arguing that such attacks were both immature and cruel.
“I can’t stand Aaron Rodgers. I flat out LOATHE Aaron Rodgers… but you don’t celebrate and make fun of ANYONE’S injuries, folks,” another wrote.
