Aaron Rodgers, NFL quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, sat in a comfy, rotating chair next to Pat McAfee, head down as he listened to McAfee’s next question on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show”: “Can you tell us about the mindset of coming into your last season? How do you view this year versus maybe the years of the past?” Rodgers raised his head and responded, “I’m gonna plead the fifth.” "I'm pleading the Fifth You've gotta be kidding me" ~ @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/kg3y0uMxxR— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 3, 2026 Laughter broke out on stage and in the crowd of yellow-and-black-clad Steelers fans behind the stage at the joke, which was directed at Dr. Anthony Fauci, who just last week appeared before a Senate hearing to answer questions about the role he played during the pandemic, particularly questions regarding COVID-19 origins and his own decision-making. During the hearing, he “plead the fifth” 111 times on the advice of his lawyers. Rodgers’ joke launched the conversation into the topic of Fauci’s recent public scrutiny. During the exchange, Rodgers had some strong words for the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. “Are you kidding me?” Rodgers continued. “You got a pardon and you plead [the fifth] over a hundred times? What are you scared of, Tony? I thought you were the science. ‘I am science,’ and he can’t get up there and answer a question?” The four-time NFL MVP related the situation to the scrutiny he received in the past for declining to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, a decision that, at the time, was highly controversial in the eyes of the public. McAfee summarized Rodgers’ situation at the time for the crowd: “In 2021, there was a 500-page report that Aaron looked into with many doctors about his body and said vaccination. Now that became a talking point of COVID, I believe, around the entire globe. And the only reason I know that is because I was called a murderer because I was platforming Aaron Rodgers who was making the decision that was best for himself. You were called a murderer; you were called a lot of things.” The report McAfee referenced is a report that Aaron Rodgers said he sent to the NFL Players Association before the 2021-22 season to appeal the NFL’s decision to place him on the “non-vaccinated” list going into the season. The document claimed he was allergic to an ingredient in mRNA vaccines, which Rodgers believed should make him exempt from getting the Moderna and Pfizer shots in order to be able to play during the season. He also said at the time that he was worried about the absence of long-term study data and, as a result, whether COVID-19 vaccines affected one’s fertility negatively. After Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19, the NFL launched an investigation into the Green Bay Packers’ COVID-19 protocols, which eventually resulted in a $14,650 fine for Rodgers and a $300,000 fine for the Packers organization. Aaron Rodgers making sure to re-address his previous COVID stance during his time on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/1zUvDmQrRY— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) August 3, 2026 After dealing with plenty of public scrutiny throughout that entire season and beyond, Rodgers seems to be enjoying the spotlight being fixated on someone else. “It’s nice to be sitting on this side now, especially after that coward plead the fifth over a hundred times. I thought you had a pardon there, Tony. Why couldn’t you answer one question there the entire time?” “What are you gonna say about me now? You can’t talk about the COVID stuff because, obviously, it was made in a lab in China. That’s not even questionable anymore. Tony Fauci is an absolute criminal. I’m on good terms with my family. What are you gonna say now?” Rodgers also pointed out the fact that certain outlets didn’t cover the Fauci hearing as much as they covered his situation in the winter of 2021. “How much time did the network spend on [Fauci’s hearing]? How much time did they spend on my responses every week, on my vaccination status, on Taylor [Swift] and Travis [Kelce]’s wedding?” Seconds later, the Pittsburgh fans broke into cheers as chants of “MVP! MVP!” began. Pat McAfee wrapped up the Fauci conversation with a compliment to Rodgers. “Way to stand on your truth throughout the entirety of that thing. Congratulations.” Rodgers responded, “I told you I’d be on the right side of history.”