Viewers were told by host Pat McAfee on Wednesday that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ appearances on his show were done for the year.
The explanation fans of “The Pat McAfee Show” were given was that Rodgers had essentially taken the show’s focus away from sports and that he wouldn’t be back for the remainder of the NFL season.
But Thursday, Rodgers bizarrely showed back up on the show via Skype to discuss the retirement of legendary college football coach Nick Saban and the separation of iconic NFL coach Bill Belichick from the New England Patriots.
In a clip McAfee posted on the social media platform X of Rodgers’ appearance on the show, he noted the quarterback is now in the “offseason.”
This is the offseason for @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4s5276e7rX
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 11, 2024
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Neither McAfee nor Rodgers touched on the controversy as Rodgers celebrated Belichick and Saban for their respective contributions to the sport of football.
Rodgers recalled some of his own personal encounters with both coaches and stated the obvious — which is that both were the best at what they did.
“When you’re talking about people who actually made a difference in the game, moved the game forward, and were trailblazers, Bill Belichick and Nick Saban were those guys,” he said, Newsweek reported.
Should Aaron Rodgers be banned from the “Pat McAfee Show”?
But what left viewers confounded was why was Rodgers there at all.
Amid the fallout of Rodgers’ two-week feud with ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, McAfee appeared to make it clear on Wednesday that Rodgers was “done” on the show for the season.
He even appeared to be happy about it, which upset a lot of people.
“There’s gonna be a lot of people that are happy with that, myself included to be honest with you,” McAfee said of the end of Rodgers’ weekly spots. “The way it ended, it got real loud. … I am happy that he’s not going to be in my mentions going forward.”
“We’re a conversation show, people are having conversations. We live in a country that has freedom of speech, but also you’re gonna have to deal with the consequences of your freedom of speech,” McAfee said.
The host said that he was pleased his show would cease to be a source of controversy and that it would be getting back to sports.
A viral clip of McAfee’s comments now includes a community note on X that clarifies Rodgers stops appearing on the show regularly every year after his season ends:
JUST IN: Aaron Rodgers is suspended from appearing on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” for the rest of the season after his beef with ‘comedian’ Jimmy Kimmel.
Rodgers p*ssed off a lot of people. Good.
McAfee said he was “happy” Rodgers wouldn’t be back on the show because of all… pic.twitter.com/57ho5hl6A6
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 10, 2024
Still, Rodgers’ surprise Thursday drop-in naturally confused many people.
I was told he was suspended 😏
— Anselle Pascal (@ItsAnselle) January 11, 2024
So much for him not being on the show anymore.
— BarelyBreathin (@Clintonzahradn1) January 12, 2024
According to a statement McAfee posted on X, Rodgers was never banned for the rest of the season.
He explained that Rodgers was done for the Jets season, which ended last Sunday when the team failed to make the NFL playoffs.
“He’ll make random surprise welcomed pop ins during big events or offseason adventures but, it’s always been a season thing,” McAfee said of Rodgers.
He added, “I never said he’ll never be on the show again. I hope he chooses to still chat with us.”
A lot of you are talking very wild about me and our progrum.. I assume you are very new to us.
We are a sports show that tries to inform folks of what’s going on and have a good time with good vibes… Everyday.
We do not bat 1000 but we feel as if we do make solid contact A… pic.twitter.com/h3befnizy9
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 10, 2024
It appears as though many sports fans and many in the media were either trolled by McAfee or were quick to rush to judgment about the situation.
