Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apparently is eyeing two big-name current and former athletes as candidates to join him as a running mate on an independent presidential ticket this upcoming election.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura top the list of Kennedy’s potential candidates on the ticket, New York Times journalist Rebecca Davis O’Brien reported Tuesday.
Rodgers, 40, is set to be the Jets’ starting quarterback next season, which conflicts with the peak of the campaign season. Ventura, who gained fame wrestling in the WWF during the 1980s and ‘90s, served as the governor of Minnesota from 1998 to 2003.
![](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ch_800%2Cw_1200/MjA0OTc1NTU1NDEyNTAyMjY4/aaron-rodgers-jets.jpg)
Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Rodgers has publicly supported the 70-year-old Kennedy’s campaign in the past with posts on social media.
According to the The Times, Kennedy has been speaking with Rodgers “pretty continuously” over the past month.
Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on the first drive of the Jets’ 2023 opener. The future Hall of Famer led the Green Bay Packers to 11 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl title in 15 seasons as a starter before being traded to New York in a blockbuster April 2023 deal.