When Aaron Rodgers took the field for his first game as a member of the New York Jets on Sept. 11 – an important date for New Yorkers and the United States as a whole after the World Trade Center attacks in 2001 – he was carrying an American flag on his shoulder as he led the team out of the tunnel. It was quite a patriotic moment for some, but it reminded others of some controversial comments Rodgers made about 9/11 several years ago.
During an interview with The Breneman Show podcast last year, NFL quarterback DeShone Kizer recalled a conversation with Aaron Rodgers during their time together with the Green Bay Packers in which the future Hall of Fame quarterback asked him if he believed in 9/11 before telling him to “read up on that.”
“We shut the door and the first thing that comes out of Aaron Rodgers’ mouth was ‘Do you believe in 9/11?'” Kizer said on the podcast.
“‘What? Do I believe in 9/11? Yeah, why wouldn’t I?'” Kizer said that he replied to Rodgers.
Kizer then said Rodgers told him that he should “read up on that,” implying that Rodgers perhaps believed conspiracy theories about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
After Rodgers made his heroic entrance carrying an American flag to the roar of thousands of New Yorkers, many were reminded of those previous comments.
NFL script writers really did something here https://t.co/T1W3Xl6HCY
— Kyle (@KyleCoche) September 12, 2023
https://twitter.com/nickfarruggia/status/1701402073307480349?s=20
Rodgers played four snaps in his debut with the Jets before suffering what turned out to be a season-ending Achilles injury.