Aaron Rodgers’ flirtation with politics was addressed in the second episode of his three-part Netflix documentary, “Enigma.”
The New York Jets quarterback was floated as a possible running mate for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. earlier this year before the independent presidential candidate ultimately dropped out of the race and endorsed Donald Trump.
Rodgers and Kennedy went on a hike, and the four-time NFL MVP admitted to Kennedy that the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 initially sparked his interest in politics.
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers balances a ball before a game on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
“I mean, I got into politics when I was a sophomore in high school. I mean, the idea, in general, honestly, of your uncle’s death, and that was my first entry into taking off the veil, like I call it, about what’s really going on because I read the Warren Commission report on it. I remember realizing, ‘This is what they said happened?’ “This can’t be real,” he said.
“And then I went to Berkeley, which is a crazy political environment. It’s super left-wing, and I grew up in a very conservative small-town environment. So it was fun to test my ideologies. But, I mean, it’s… I’ve always “I’ve been discouraged because there is a two-party system that is really just one party. The only party that governs is the party with the money. So, I really had no hope in politics until you actually announced your candidacy.”
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. visits “The Story With Martha MacCallum” at Pak Gazette Channel Studios on September 25, 2024 in New York City. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
Rodgers later confirmed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked him to be his running mate. However, he decided to continue playing football with the Jets.
“Retire and dedicate myself to politics or play two or three more years,” he said. “I definitely imagined a life without football, and I wasn’t afraid of it. I felt comforted by being able to move on at some point. But I love football. I want to keep playing. And I hated how last year went. There are still unfinished business in New Jersey”.
Amid the drama that arose over the possibility of Rodgers being Kennedy’s running mate, there was a report claiming that he allegedly shared conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook shooting.
Rodgers denied the allegations at the time and in the episode seemed surprised that someone would paint him that way.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts after a missed throw against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 15, 2024. (Morgan Tencza/Image Images)
“Misrepresentation is certainly a trigger. Trauma, trigger, whatever,” Rodgers said.
