Anyone hoping to see Aaron Rodgers and Travis Kelce up on the debate stage can forget about the idea. On a recent episode of the “Paper Route” podcast, Kelce shot down Rodgers’ suggestion that the two should have a discussion about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Rodgers and Kelce have had somewhat of a back-and-forth since Kelce appeared in a commercial encouraging people to get a flu shot and a COVID-19 booster this fall. On an episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rogers even suggested that he and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy should debate Kelce and Anthony Fauci about the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
The only problem with the plan is that Kelce doesn’t have any interest in it. Kelce said he has no ill will toward Rodgers, but he just isn’t very good at debating.
“I didn’t think it was as much of a shot,” Kelce said. “He has his ways. He has his thoughts, how he feels about things. He has a right to have that. How you feel about certain things is up to you, man. To each his own. I think he was just having fun with it, but I’m no debater, man. You’re not gonna see me up here going to the great debate against Aaron Rodgers over something like that. It’s all fun and games, at least between us. I got all the respect for him.”
The sparring between the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the New York Jets quarterback began when Rodgers referred to Kelce as “Mr. Pfizer” after seeing the commercial. Then, in a press conference, Kelce pointed out that Rodgers works for the heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune.
Despite the two exchanging jabs in the media, it seems like the only place Rodgers and Kelce will ever go toe-to-toe is on the gridiron.