Aaron Rodgers is a bona fide future Hall of Fame quarterback. He is, point blank, one of the best to ever throw a football on a professional level. But these days, I get the sense the pseudo-intellectual New York Jets signal caller makes more headlines for his silly commentary on society rather than any success on the football field.
There was that time he gave us a close-up of his toe on camera. He once gave us a lecture about “students of astrology” in regard to a tattoo that clearly had no inherent central meaning. In his best 1960s/1970s “nonconformist” voice, he responded to rightful criticism from former All-Pro tackle Mitchell Schwartz by telling him to be “curious” first. Lest I forget, the man who claims to be worldly didn’t know squat about the great American state of New Jersey.
These are only a few examples, but I think Rodgers’ latest word salad is a top contender for one of the most nonsensical things he’s ever said. And folks: that is a very high bar to clear.
During a “Psychedelics Science” conference in Denver this week, Rodgers was one of the primary speakers. This isn’t surprising for the self-professed ayahuasca user that once claimed the drug helped him play like an MVP. Rodgers appears to be all about “alternative” means to wellness, so of course, he’s selling it to the world.
What was somewhat surprising was Rodgers telling everyone how words work. In audio provided to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, at first, it almost seems like Rodgers was trying to expand on some kind of random opinion on cancel culture or how the “media” (in an extremely general sense) demonizes him.
Whatever Rodgers was trying to say, to me, he lost his train of thought and wound up comparing language to witchcraft. I am not even remotely exaggerating.
More from Pro Football Talk:
“You know,” Rodgers said, “words are so interesting. They have such power in their spells. There’s a reason it’s called ‘spelling,’ because the way that the letters are put together have such power.”
Ah, yes, that makes sense. When I channel my inner Mary Poppins and unironically type supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, I’m actually using magic. I can feel the sorcery coming through my laptop keyboard. There’s lyrical meaning involved, and there’s so much power in that word, in all words, really. What an insight. And this brilliant man, who happens to play football on the side, opened my eyes to it? What a talent.
No, wait, I’m falling for it! Knowing Rodgers, I bet he thinks he just cracked a language code. I’m sure he felt so smart sharing that complete gibberish. And I trust this won’t be the last absurd sentiment to leave his lips.
I, for one, can’t wait to make fun of him again when it happens.
This was how Twitter reacted to Rodgers' description of words
if you pointed out to aaron rodgers that you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway he’d be able to summon enough spiritual energy to teleport to alpha centauri and start conjuring new planets https://t.co/q4TBizLCeJ
— Jon Bois (@jon_bois) June 22, 2023
Everyone has at least one Aaron Rodgers in their undergrad poetry workshop https://t.co/RXcOU9UkGK
— Lincoln Michel (@TheLincoln) June 22, 2023
everyone’s dunking on Aaron Rodgers for this, but I for one am sympathetic toward the intuitive, unconscious understanding of the Divine Logos as a between language and being https://t.co/dYnC2pDT32
— Joe (@JP__Charles) June 22, 2023
Aaron Rodgers embraces textualism: https://t.co/eBwpIrKZwh
— Matt Ford (@fordm) June 22, 2023
Aaron Rodgers thought this was the most heartfelt dramatic performance put on film in the 21st century. pic.twitter.com/0hL2nIJyFx https://t.co/YU6POLpoOD
— Matt Mamba (@MattMamba24) June 22, 2023
I don’t blame Green Bay anymore, this is nauseating https://t.co/wpvCfGBiEr
— Tito Benach (@TitoBenach) June 22, 2023
“Universe. Just think about that word for a moment. It’s a ‘verse’ for u n i to sing together. Isn’t that something?” https://t.co/CmRkrxtgPI
— Jacson Bevens (@JacsonBevens) June 22, 2023
A Wizard of Earthsea (Le Guin, 1968) https://t.co/2yd5g1yttA
— draglikepull (@draglikepull) June 22, 2023
Setting the o/u for the week of the Jets locker room revolt at 9.5 https://t.co/uVPkAqa83N
— Nick Stellini (@StelliniTweets) June 22, 2023
