Aaron Rodgers Says He Turned Down Being Robert F. Kennedy’s Running Mate

Vice President Aaron Rodgers was never a probable outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election, but it was at least on the table for a moment, according to the Jets quarterback.

Speaking at a New York Jets press conference on Tuesday, May 21, Rodgers said he was on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s shortlist of potential running mates before taking himself out of the running.

“I love Bobby,” said Rodgers, 40. “We had a couple of really nice conversations. But there were really two options — retire and be his VP or keep playing. And I wanna keep playing.”

Kennedy is expected to run as an independent candidate this fall, presenting himself as an alternative to current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Polling, however, has him running a distant third behind the two major party nominees.

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Rodgers has said he plans to vote for Kennedy, and the two align on several issues, including vaccinations. The QB was perhaps the most prominent athlete in the United States to refuse a COVID-19 vaccination and has repeatedly come under fire for allegedly spreading misinformation about COVID vaccines.

Kennedy, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, has faced similar accusations and currently chairs the anti-vaccine advocacy group Children’s Health Defense (formerly the World Mercury Project).

With politics no longer part of Rodgers’ immediate future, he can turn his attention to the upcoming NFL season. He appeared in just one game in 2023, his first season with the Jets, suffering an achilles injury in the first quarter of the team’s opener. Rodgers has been a full participant in the team’s offseason workouts.

“These practices have been nice the last couple of days. Feel what it’s like to be out there, to be moving around, to not be thinking about it and see how I respond the next day. This is the last part,” he said. “The strength is good, the movement is good, just the confidence to do everything.”

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While Rodgers gears up for another NFL season, he knows the end of his career is coming sooner rather than later.

“As you get older in the league, if you do not perform, they’re going to get rid of you or bring in the next guy to take over,” he said. “It happened in Green Bay, and I’m a few years older than I was back then. I expect to play at a high level, I expect us to be productive and competitive, and all that stuff to take care of itself.”

The Jets will open their season on Monday, September 9, against the San Francisco 49ers.