New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has developed many beefs over the last few years, but his latest is with ESPN analyst and former NFL safety Ryan Clark.
The quarrel between the two began when Rodgers called out ESPN and sports media companies during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Clark responded to Rodgers’ take and the two have been trading blows during various media appearances ever since.
Here’s what to know about the origins of the feud and what each personality has said about the other.
Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Clark feud timeline
Rodgers calls out ESPN personalities in appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’
Rodgers’ tiff with Clark began after the Jets quarterback made his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
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During that appearance, Rodgers bemoaned the current state of the sports media, especially ESPN’s long-time hit show “SportsCenter.”
“The ‘SportsCenter’ of my youth, those guys made highlights so much fun and that’s what they showed,” Rodgers said. “Now it’s all talk shows and people whose opinions are so important now and they believe they’re the celebrities now.”
Rodgers didn’t call out Clark specifically in his critique of ESPN, but he referenced that there were “former players” on the air whose main goal wasn’t necessarily to break down the NFL.
“There’s a lot of people talking about the game now, both non-former players and former players who are trying to stay relevant fame-wise,” Rodgers said. “So the takes and the criticism I think are a lot different than they were maybe in the mid-2000s.”
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Rodgers clarified that he wasn’t talking about show host Pat McAfee. Aside from that, he didn’t reference any personalities directly by name.
Instead, Rodgers spoke generally about the state of the network and lamented the “unfounded” and “asinine” takes given off by some personalities.
“I’m talking about these experts on TV who nobody remembers what they did in their career,” Rodgers said. “So in order for them to stay relevant, they have to make comments that keep them in the conversation. That wasn’t going on in 2008, 2009, that was nonexistent.
“Now it’s all talk shows and people whose opinions are so important now and they believe they’re the celebrities now. They’re the stars for just being able to talk about sports or give a take about sports, many of which are unfounded or asinine, as we all know.”
Naturally, Rodgers’ interview became a soundbite reviewed by many shows on ESPN, including “First Take.” That led Clark to fire back at Rodgers’ perception that NFL IQ was declining across the network – and the sport in general.
Clark calls Rodgers ‘tone-deaf,’ ‘fraud’ in appearance on ‘First Take’
Clark appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” on Friday, Dec. 13 and was asked about Rodgers’ comments. He did not hold back in his assessment of the quarterback.
“I find it extremely funny that he’s saying this on a show with a man, who as great as he was as a punter, is far more famous as a pundit in Pat McAfee,” Clark said. “A.J. Hawk, who I felt like was a good player, is now on TV, and he gets to give his thoughts as well.”
Clark laid out the hypocrisy of Rodgers’ statements, outlining that the quarterback is doing exactly what he is accusing other NFL analysts and former players of. Clark pointed out that Rodgers’ opinion was expressed during his weekly, paid gig on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“My issue with him is you’re doing the exact same thing,” Clark said. “And the reason you’re getting this opportunity to say these asinine things is because someone is paying you who is exactly the same thing that you’re now speaking out against.”
That led Clark to call Rodgers a “fraud” while hurling a few other insults toward the Jets quarterback.
“This dude is once again tone-deaf,” Clark continued. “This dude is once again unaware. This dude is once again arrogant to a point that’s almost sickening because he says these things, and he talks tough, and he behaves in his way, but he ain’t.
“This dude is a fraud. He’s been a fraud. He can throw a football and that’s where it stops. Once that talent ends … so does he. And to sit up there, man, and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny and sickening at the same time.”
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Rodgers fires back at Clark, prods with vaccination status comments
Rodgers made his usual appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Dec. 17 and spent an hour discussing the Jets’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the College Football Playoff and the drones in New Jersey, among other topics.
Just as McAfee was getting ready to end their segment together, Rodgers stated that he wasn’t done.
“Say whatever the (expletive) you want about me, I don’t care, but just before you do it, whether you state your name, your accolades, pronouns, whatever it is, just state your [vaccination] status so that anything you say afterwards gets put in the right light,” he said. “Just get it out there.”
Once again, Rodgers didn’t mention Clark specifically, nor did he mention ESPN. However, he continued to lament those who had received the COVID-19 vaccine and said that various members of the sports media landscape were “captured” by multimillion-dollar propaganda.”
“Then when you say things about me people can at least be like, ‘oh, you are captured by the multimillion-dollar propaganda Skyhawk and you’re still upset about it,'” Rodgers said. “Just so everybody knows where you’re coming from, everybody knows ‘okay, cool, you’re twice [vaccinated with] Moderna with three booster shots’ and then say what you want to say, whatever.”
Rodgers indicated that he didn’t care whether his comments would continue to raise tensions between the show and ESPN when prompted about it by McAfee and Hawk.
“I’m just saying a PSA, just please help everybody who’s wondering ‘where is this coming from?’ Including myself… do a little bit of digging and then you know where it’s all coming from,” Rodgers said. “You’re captured, you’re highly vaccinated and then say whatever the hell you want to say about me [because] I couldn’t give two (expletive)s about it.”
While Rodgers didn’t mention Clark by name, he made it clear that he had seen the former NFL safety’s comments on “First Take.”
Clark wore a gold lapel with his initials “RC” while appearing on “First Take.” Rodgers said in his second critique of sports media and the vaccinated that “you don’t just need a broach with your initials” when on TV; instead, he requested media members put their vaccination status on air instead of their biographies.
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Clark posts about Rodgers’ spot on ‘Pat McAfee Show’
Clark responded quickly to Rodgers’ comments at the end of the McAfee show. He was disappointed that McAfee had to let Rodgers go after his end-of-segment rant because Clark saw the quarterback “almost put a name” on the individuals about whom he was talking.
Clark made it clear in a later tweet that he has “no issues” with McAfee and isn’t jealous of the show’s success.
“I only want to speak to [McAfee] because I didn’t say anything negative about him and spoke with no ill intent,” Clark wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “So him jumping in this for Aaron is confusing if he’s calling me jealous or thinking I’m attacking his business model.”
Clark said he was proud of the success of his podcast, the Pivot Podcast, which is nominated for a 2024 Sports Emmy in the “Outstanding Hosted Edited Series” category.
Clark calls out Rodgers’ ‘vax smoke screen’ in social media video
On Dec. 18, just one day after Rodgers’ appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Clark posted a video nearly five minutes long to his X account, formerly Twitter.
In the video, Clark continued to lay out the case of Rodgers’ hypocrisy, noting that McAfee’s show fit the description of the forums about which Rodgers had complained in his initial critique of sports media.
Clark also called Rodgers’ bluff. The ESPN analyst disclosed that he is vaccinated, in part because he had to have his spleen and gall bladder removed after suffering an injury while playing against the Denver Broncos in 2007.
Clark expressed that he didn’t believe that was really what Rodgers cared about. Instead, the ESPN analyst believes the Jets quarterback is trying to use his own vaccination status to distract from his poor play in 2024.
“As far as your vaccination status, so you can stop trying to trick people into thinking that we want to talk about that above the stink of your film, I’ve never heard it one more time after your incident,” Clark said. “And the only reason we spoke about it then was because, based on your vaccination status, it was going to determine how long you were out.”
The incident to which Clark is referring is the one game Rodgers missed during the 2021 NFL season after he tested positive for COVID-19. Many had assumed he was vaccinated at the time, as he had told reporters when asked that he was “immunized” ahead of the season. He wasn’t.
Clark is adamant that Rodgers’ handling of his status was what led people to be upset with him, not just the fact that he was unvaccinated.
“And also, people didn’t care that you weren’t vaccinated,” Clark said. “They cared that you were slimy about it. They cared that you were deceitful about it. And they care that you had this air of arrogance when answering the questions about it. And you’ve kind of been the only person that’s talked about it since.”
Clark then broke down some of Rodgers’ stats and tape, noting that he ranks 21st in the league in QBR and has guided the Jets to a 4-10 record through Week 15.
He also issued a warning to Rodgers that he would not back down from his criticism of the quarterback when it falls within the scope of his job.
“If you continue to be arrogant, or smug, or hypocritical, and it pertains to my job, I’m gonna do it,” Clark said.
