Aaron Rodgers vs NFL media: 5 times QB lashed out at reporters 

Aaron Rodgers is one of the NFL’s more unusual characters, and this side of his personality often shows in his interactions with the media.

With a move to the New York Jets on the cusp of being finalized, Rodgers will need to find a way to coexist with the media. The vast scale of that market in the Big Apple will be much greater than what he was used to while with the Green Bay Packers.

His latest disagreement came on Wednesday (March 15) as he lashed out at Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport with regards to his future in Green Bay. However, there have been plenty of other examples as well.

Whilst not all his shocking responses have come courtesy of on-field events, Aaron Rodgers’ reputation for media handling is poor. Here are five occasions when Rodgers took aim at reporters.

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#5 Aaron Rodgers vs. Media over Pfizer sponsorship

Aaron Rodgers’ relationship with the media started to go really sour when COVID-19 became an issue within the NFL.

His vaccination status controversy (more on that later) led to plenty of headlines. Additionally, Rodgers also felt that there was an uneasy relationship between the companies that produced the vaccine and newspapers and television stations.

He received plenty of criticism from certain sections of the media for the same. In response, Rodgers went on quite the tirade about how he felt he was being targeted by media companies that were sponsored by Pfizer.

“Listen there’s heroes and villains in sports and entertainment, I think because of my stance on Covid I’ve been cast as the villain,” Rodgers told the Pat McAfee Show.

“I did see there were some comments that I’m only playing for MVPs and stuff like that, that doesn’t offend me. This woke culture is to be offended by everything.

“If you take the right sound bite from the right thing and it’s from a station that may or may not have in the past been brought to you by Pfizer, then they have to make sure that their villain gets cast in the correct light.”

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#4 Rodgers vs. Schefter/Rapoport over Jets move

The latest battle between Aaron Rodgers and the sports media came on Wednesday, when details of his imminent trade to the New York Jets were revealed.

ESPN's Adam Schefter had reported that the veteran QB had given the Jets a list of players they must acquire before he agreed to join the team. Rodgers, though, took Schefter to task over this, suggesting he had communicated with the ESPN journalist over the matter.

“Ask Schefter what I texted him when he somehow got my number,” he said.

Rodgers then outlined what his message to Schefter was:

“Lose my number, nice try.”

The quarterback added:

“I think Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport are really good at their jobs, but when it comes to me, they don’t know shit.”

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#3 Rodgers vs. MVP voter over criticism

Associated Press MVP voter Hub Arkush caused a stir when he stated he wouldn’t vote for Aaron Rodgers to win the award because he was ‘the biggest jerk in the league.’

This angered the Green Bay Packers quarterback and forced him to take to the microphone again to fire back at Arkush.

“I think he’s a bum,” Aaron Rodgers stated.

“I think he’s an absolute bum, he doesn’t know me, I don’t know who he is.

“I listened to the comments, but to say he had his mind made up in the summertime, in the offseason, that I had zero chance of winning MVP, in my opinion should exclude [him] from future votes.”

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#2 Rodgers vs. Media over Vaccination Status

Aaron Rodgers’ biggest ever controversy came when he seemingly misled the media over his COVID-19 vaccination status.

As the virus started to impact the NFL and games within the league, it was important for the league and teams to know who was vaccinated and who wasn’t. This would in turn help them track and manage outbreaks.

Rodgers consistently stated that he was ‘immunized,’ which was language that suggested he had taken the regulation vaccine. However, the Green Bay Packers superstar wasn’t being entirely truthful.

He then confirmed as much in another pointed rant against the sports media.

“I had come to the conclusion that I’m going to say I’ve been immunized,” Rodgers explained on the "Joe Rogan Podcast."

“If there’s a follow up, then I would talk about my process, but I thought maybe they would understand what that means.

“Maybe they follow up, maybe they don’t. They didn’t follow up so, I go into the season with them thinking, some of them, that I was vaccinated.”

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#1 Rodgers vs. Bill Cowher over performance level

One of the things Aaron Rodgers has had the most difficulty with has been dealing with criticism from former players and coaches.

After a defeat to the New Orleans Saints in 2021, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach turned analyst Bill Cowher accused Rodgers of not caring on the field. The Packers quarterback responded to Cowher in a brutal fashion.

“I mean, on one hand, it’s absolute horses*** to give a platform to people who have no idea what they’re talking about as far as my mental state and work habits go,” he said.

“These people have not been around me, they aren’t in my life and I don’t have communication with them.

“I mean, it’s just chickens***, it’s so ridiculous that people get a platform to do this, and it’s the same type of people.”