Aaron Rodgers still has complicated relationship with media

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers' response to Adam Schefter highlights his complicated relationship with media

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 3/15/23

Aaron Rodgers clearly doesn't like what he considers the "mainstream" NFL media. He said a few weeks ago that the Adam Schefters and Ian Rapoports of the NFL world don't know anything about him, and in his bombshell-dropping interview on the Pat McAfee show on Wednesday, the four-time MVP kept his distain going strong.

The actual news coming out of the interview is, of course, the fact that Rodgers said that he wants to continue playing football and that the Green Bay Packers no longer want him. As such, his desire to play with the New York Jets — who will need to trade for him.

It was a long-winded interview (per usual for Rodgers), and he touched on a lot that will interest Jets and Packers fans alike. In the middle of it all, he told a story about Schefter reaching out to him to try to get a scoop. Rodgers was clear that he was not happy with the longtime ESPN reporter reaching out to him.

He told McAfee and company that he told Schefter as well as ESPN's Diana Russini to lose his number.

That was a scoop that Schefter himself did confirm.

Confirming Aaron Rodgers’ report: pic.twitter.com/XRhhd58Qm5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2023

Rodgers has openly disliked Schefter for a while now. Russini has seemingly been added to his blacklist because she was the one who reported that the future Hall of Famer had given the Jets a list of players he'd like them to sign — basically acting as a player and general manager.

For what it's worth, Russini did stand by her reporting. It's also worth mentioning that one of those players on the supposed list, Allen Lazard, did sign with the Jets.

.@diannaESPN provided more information on Aaron Rodgers' ideal wish list for the Jets: pic.twitter.com/57z5EOqqAZ
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 15, 2023

This whole saga has been a whirlwind of information and sometimes disinformation. So it's not all that surprising Rodgers has soured on the traditional media and has instead given all of his scoops to McAfee, A.J. Hawk and company.

He became a target in 2021 for his "immunized" comments, and he's never really been able to leave the national spotlight since. Some would suggest that's exactly how Rodgers likes it (and that may be true), but no one can deny that the best way to describe Rodgers' relationship with the media as tumultuous. Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold. Some he likes, and some he doesn't care for.

That's Aaron Rodgers for ya. A complicated fella.

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