Chad Johnson made an impassioned plea to Aaron Rodgers this week, asking the veteran QB to stay sidelined instead of trying to force an expedited return to the field. "Don't do it. You're going to reinjure yourself. It's too soon. You have to understand. There are few injuries that you don't want to play with. You don't want to play with anything having to do with your groin, your Achilles, or your knees. You don't rush back from those. I don't care what your doctors tell you," Johnson said via TMZ.
Rodgers went down four plays into his debut with the Jets back in September. However, the alternative medicine practitioner has recently hinted that he is just a few weeks away from being ready to play again. Given that Achilles tears tend to need 6-9 months to heal, it's practically a miracle that Rodgers is seemingly bouncing back from one in half that time. Without Rodgers at the helm, the Jets are 4-4. The team has one of the best defenses in the league most weeks. However, there is little to no life on offense to help win games. This week, the Jets take on the 4-5 Raiders in Vegas. The Jets are favored by a single point in the matchup.
Rodgers Making Millions From Pat McAfee Show Appearances
However, the time on injured reserve hasn't been all bad for Rodgers. According to a New York Post report last month, Rodgers is making at least seven figures a year for his weekly segment on Pat McAfee's ESPN show. Rodgers has made a weekly Monday appearance on McAfee's show ever since he moved to ESPN in September. “Aaron has made over $1,000,000 with us, for sure,” McAfee told the Post via direct message. It's unknown if Alabama coach Nick Saban, who also does a weekly segment, is also paid to appear.
Many of Rodgers' major offseason revelations were made on McAfee's show, both before and after it moved to ESPN. Trade rumors, the darkness retreat, his aggressive rehab plan. All of those happened on McAfee's show. Of course, there's no rule against Rodgers getting paid for media appearances. However, it takes some of the veneer off McAfee's brand. The former punter had built a reputation as a foul-mouthed frat bro who naturally attracted like-minded individuals to him. While he might still do that for his audiences, it appears his guests need a fat check to hang out with him.
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