Pat McAfee is as relieved as the rest of us that the Aaron Rodgers circus is heading into the offseason.
McAfee acknowledged that the four-time NFL MVP's appearances on his show every Tuesday gave him headaches, none bigger than last week's, and said he was glad to get a break from his Wednesday cleanup.
“We've given a lot of ammunition in the last week to a lot of people who were waiting for us to fail to attack us. And we would like to get back to the point where we just keep going,” McAfee said Wednesday during the introduction to “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Famer. He is a four-time MVP. He's an important part of NFL history (and) whenever you go back and tell it, he'll be a big part of it. We're very lucky.” “Get a chance to chat with him and learn from him,” McAfee said. “But some of his thoughts and opinions get on a lot of people’s nerves. And I’m thrilled that this will no longer be the case every Wednesday of my life, as it has been for the past few weeks.”
“On Friday, of course, I’ll throw us into the fire too. Stay with it forever,” McAfee said, referring to his accusation that an ESPN executive tried to sabotage his show. “But everything else just can’t and it’s not what we want to be known for. And I'm also thrilled that I don't have to have these types of conversations anymore. With that being said, the sport is alive right now.
It was a refreshingly introspective take from McAfee on the firestorm that Rodgers sparked last week with his unfounded suggestion that Jimmy Kimmel would be linked to Jeffrey Epstein, who trafficked underage girls to the rich and famous. Rodgers has courted controversy before, but this attempt to sicken Kimmel was irresponsible at best, defamatory at worst, and it gave McAfee and his show an onslaught of deserved negative headlines for an entire week.
Rodgers' lame attempt at an explanation on Tuesday did nothing to calm the noise, as it was not an apology and he continued to spread conspiracy theories and easily debunk nonsense.
“The way it ended, it got really loud. Really loud,” McAfee said. “I’m glad that won’t be my mentions in the future, that’s great news.”
To be clear, McAfee did not remove Rodgers from his show. Rodgers typically only appeared during the regular season and playoffs – although he usually still played in the postseason as well. The New York Jets are obviously not a playoff team.
But McAfee should consider making the pause permanent. For Rodgers' sake.
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As host of The Pat McAfee Show, it's understandable why McAfee would want Rodgers as a regular and pay him handsomely to do so. Just as people marvel at traffic accidents, they also tune in every Tuesday to see what a dumpster fire Rodgers will cause. His outlandish claims about treating COVID-19 and Dr. Anthony Fauci and his F-bombs might cause some awkward moments for McAfee, but it's a boon for ratings.
And McAfee is no fool. Say what you will about his show, but he was a genius when it came to building his platform and his brand. McAfee was a punter for the Indianapolis Colts. A Pro Bowler, but still a player for a small team. Nevertheless, he has become ubiquitous in the sports landscape, and in a very short space of time.
Passing on guaranteed ratings to Gold isn't a smart business move, especially if you've just moved to ESPN.
But as a supposed friend of Rodgers, McAfee needs to know the long-term damage this is doing and what role he plays in it.
Rodgers was once an appealing and likable superstar who could be seen in your living rooms and local pubs seemingly every commercial break. It wasn't hard to imagine him having a career like Peyton Manning's when he was done playing. Rodgers is now viewed by many as a madman, someone who was fooled by junk science and conspiracies. He's quickly becoming the NFL's version of Curt Schilling, and that's something no one should want for someone they call a friend.
Rodgers is a grown man and can make his own decisions. Be responsible for them too. But true friends don't enable destructive behavior, and that's exactly what McAfee is doing. Has done.
This is not “censorship” or “cancellation” or any of the other ridiculous methods Rodgers described for holding people accountable for saying and doing stupid things. This is a friend who realizes that his friend has lost the plot and it is costing him his legacy, and decides that he will no longer contribute to it.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armor on social media @nrarmour.