Aaron Rodgers sticks to sports in surprise 'Pat McAfee Show' appearance

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Just a day after ESPN host Pat McAfee said Aaron Rodgers’ weekly appearances during the NFL season were over, the New York Jets star reappeared on his show Thursday to talk Bill Belichick and Nick Saban.

Rodgers’ comments about Jeffrey Epstein, Jimmy Kimmel, COVID and Dr. Anthon Fauci ruffled feathers around social media. McAfee appeared to lament Rodgers’ comments, saying Wednesday he was "happy" it was over as the scrutiny was getting "real loud."

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets speak before a game at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 7, 2024, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

But because Rodgers was one of the last to speak with Belichick on the field, McAfee brought him back. Rodgers, for his part, stuck to sports as he talked about Belichick and Saban. Belichick and the Patriots parted ways while Saban announced he was retiring from Alabama.

"It’s too bad. Those are two iconic coaches. I think, in general, when we play this game, we love this game, there’s this idea about game-changers and people who actually change the game and in actuality there’s very few people who really move the game forward – players or coaches – but when you’re talking about people who actually made a difference in the game and moved the game forward and were trailblazers and game-changers, Bill Belichick and Nick Saban are those guys," he said.

"Bill did things his own way and had a ton of success with it and people try to copy it and couldn’t do it. I think that’s the greatest compliment you can give Bill besides the respect of