Source: Justin Edmonds / Getty / Ryan Clark
Former pro football star and now ESPN analyst Ryan Clark went nuclear on Aaron Rodgers and probably said what most of the struggling New York Jets star quarterback’s NFL brethren are thinking regarding Rodger’s behavior on and off the field.
Aaron Rodgers definitely rubbed many people the wrong way following his last appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, where he sounded hypocritical when he went off on the state of McAfee’s current employer and sports media in general.
“There’s a lot of people talking about the game now,” Rodgers said on Tuesday. “Both non-former players and former players who are trying to stay relevant fame-wise. So the takes and the criticism are a lot different than they were maybe in the mid-2000s.”
To ensure that he didn’t hurt his buddy McAfee’s feelings, Rodgers narrowed down his hate for the media adding, “”I’m talking about these experts on TV who nobody remembers what they did in their career, 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.”
Ryan Clark Had Plenty of Time
During his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2006-12, Ryan Clark, a former hard-hitting safety, let the chopper spray on Rodgers during a Friday edition of ESPN’s First Take.
“My issue with him is, you’re doing the exact same thing,” he said sternly. “And the reason that you’re getting this opportunity to say these asinine things, is because someone is paying you—who is exactly the same thing that you are now speaking out against!”
Clark continued, “This dude is once again, tone deaf. 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 this way, but he ain’t. He has all of this cache because he’s a good player. But [there] ain’t people around here that come around and talk about what type of leader you are. [There] ain’t people that come around here talking about wanting to follow you because of the type of man you have been.”
“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 so to sit up there and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny—and it’s sickening at the same time.”
Aaron Rodgers blasted former players for believing they are stars now after not having the greatest of careers. It’s ironic that he said this while being paid to by a former player who is the epitome of the people he’s lamenting!
Aaron is one of the greatest players of all… pic.twitter.com/4ln0JhZTgZ
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) December 13, 2024
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Well damn.
Damien Woody Also Chimed In
Another former player, now ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody, reacted to Rodgers’ comments asking in a post on X, “Is this dude serious *laughing emoji*.”
Ryan Clark’s evisceration of Aaron Rodgers earned him plenty of favor on social media. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
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