Travis Kelce says it’s all love between himself and Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Despite Rodgers dubbing the Chiefs tight end “Mr. Pfizer” during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” and challenging him to a debate over the COVID-19 vaccine, Kelce said he “didn’t think it was much of a shot” at him and that Rodgers was “just having fun with it.”
“He has his ways. He has his thoughts how he feels about things,” Kelce said during an appearance on the show “Paper Route” on Tuesday. “And he has the right to have that. How you feel about certain things is up to you.
“To each his own and I think he was just having fun with it.”
Rodgers fired the fist salvo after the Jets’ 23-20 loss to the Chiefs in Week 4 when he was discussing the moral victory New York had in the defeat.
Specifically, Rodgers mentioned containing Patrick Mahomes and “‘Mr. Pfizer,’ we shut him down.”
Kelce, who has appeared in Pfizer ads this fall, was asked about Rodgers’ comments at an Oct. 6 press conference and laughed them off.
“Who knew I’d get into vax wars with Aaron Rodgers, man? Mr. Pfizer against the Johnson & Johnson family over there,” he said.
That prompted Rodgers, who has not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, to react on his next appearance on the ESPN show and challenge Kelce to a debate over the vaccine, suggesting a tag-team style event that would pit Rodgers and independent presidential candidate — and known vaccine skeptic — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. against Kelce and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
However, those hoping for a debate shouldn’t get their hopes up.
“I’m no debater, man. You’re not going to see me up here going in the great debate against Aaron Rodgers over something like that,” Kelce said. “I think it’s all fun and games, at least between us, and I got all the respect for him.”
Kelce and Rodgers did embrace prior to the Week 4 matchup, which Rodgers flew to New Jersey to attend to show support to his Jet teammates.
Kelce added Tuesday that he would go up to Rodgers again before a game if New York and Kansas City were to meet again at some point in the playoffs.
“If I see him today I’d go up to him and say what’s up, and laugh about it,” Kelce added.