Aaron Rodgers Challenges 'Mr. Pfizer' Travis Kelce to Duel With RFK Jr.

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made waves last week on The Pat McAfee Show when he coined the term "Mr. Pfizer" in reference to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce recently filmed an ad for the vaccine manufacturer in which he advertised the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement that people can get COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time.

"Who knew I'd get into the vax wars with Aaron Rodgers, man?" Kelce asked reporters rhetorically Friday in what sounded largely like a good-natured response.

On Tuesday, Rodgers returned for his weekly discussion with McAfee, and as the show wound down, he fired at tight end once again.

"Mr. Pfizer said he didn't think he would be in a 'vax war' with me," Rodgers told McAfee.

McAfee, who appeared to be trying to wrap up the interview by that point, interjected with "Oh boy."

"This ain't a war, homie," Rodgers continued. "This is just conversation. But if you want to have some sort of duel, debate, have me on the podcast. Come on the show. Let's have a conversation. Let's do it like in 'John Wick 4.' We both have a second, somebody to help us out. I'm going to take my man [presidential candidate] RFK Jr. [Robert F. Kennedy] as an independent, and he can have Tony Fauci or some other pharma-crat, and we can have a conversation about this."

Rodgers and Kennedy have been outspoken opponents of the COVID-19 vaccine. In 2022, Rodgers told popular podcast host Joe Rogan that when he was doing research into the vaccine, the CDC website "specifically said, 'if you're allergic to [polyethylene glycol], we do not recommend getting vaccinated with the MRNA vaccines.'"

Per Rodgers, that was the reason he opted against getting vaccinated. A 2021 study by University of Cambridge scientists said that while allergy to PEG is rare, reactions can be severe.

The CDC recommends the vaccine for anyone 6 months or older, noting that "vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration."

Since his stance came to the forefront of the national conversation, Rodgers has become a popular figure in anti-vaccine debates.

"The triggering, though, was that not incredible last week?" Rodgers asked McAfee on Tuesday. "People getting absolutely triggered? Listen, I saw some of it....I made a tiny little joke about a guy shilling for a potentially corrupt company, and everybody kind of loses their mind."

McAfee, who made the case that Rodgers should get royalties for Mr. Pfizer football jerseys, asked if Rodgers would play for the Johnson & Johnson Jets, referencing the company that made a COVID-19 vaccine without mRNAs. The Jets are owned by Woody Johnson.

"Great question," Rodgers said, laughing.

"Something to think about," McAfee said. "We'll get your answer to that next week."

The mini-feud between Rodgers and Kelce sparked a national response, including one from Pfizer. The company made a "Mr. Pfizer" billboard featuring Kelce's number in Minneapolis prior to Sunday's game between the Vikings and Chiefs.

For his part, though, Kelce seemed to take Rodgers' original shot in stride, calling it "pretty good."

"I got [the vaccine] because of keeping myself safe, keeping my family safe, the people in this building," Kelce said. "So yeah, I stand by it 1,000%. Fully comfortable with him calling me Mr. Pfizer."