Aaron Rodgers’ storied NFL career has recently been overshadowed by his headfirst dive into vaccine conspiracy theories. The backlash to the prospective Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vice presidential pick reached a fever pitch this week in the wake of a report that the Jets quarterback is also a Sandy Hook truther. 

On Thursday, Rodgers responded to a CNN report featuring interviews with two individuals — including CNN’s Pamela Brown — who told the outlet that the Super Bowl champion claimed Sandy Hook was staged. “Sandy Hook never happened … All those children never existed. They were all actors,” Rodgers reportedly said.

Rodgers pushed back on the idea that he is a Sandy Hook truther, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that he is “on the record saying in the past, what happened in Sandy Hook was an absolute tragedy. I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place.” 

“I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to prevent unnecessary loss of life. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community,” he added. 

The report goes into detail on Rodgers’ alleged views on the 2012 massacre in which 26 people — including 20 children between six and seven years old — were murdered by a mass shooter. 

According to CNN’s Pamela Brown, who met Rodgers at the 2013 Kentucky Derby, the quarterback claimed to her that the shooting had been an inside job orchestrated by the government, and lambasted the news media for intentionally ignoring the reality of the story. 

Brown said she attempted to question Rodgers on what evidence he had to prove his claims, and that he shared various debunked theories. At one point, Rodgers allegedly asked her what she thought about false claims that government officials dressed in black were hiding in the woods behind the school. 

Another source, whose identity was not revealed to protect their anonymity, said that years ago Rodgers told them that “Sandy Hook never happened … All those children never existed. They were all actors,” and that the parents of the murdered children were “making it up. They’re all actors.” 

Unfortunately, vile conspiracies have become a mainstay of Rodgers’ persona. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the athlete had been tapped as a potential vice presidential pick by fellow conspiracy theorist and presidential hopeful RFK Jr. The two men have little in common aside from a shared love for imagining sinister government plots and spreading misinformation. It’s unclear if Rodgers was offered the position formally. RFK Jr. says he will reveal his VP pick on March 26. 

If Rodgers were to be offered and accept the position, it would likely have deep implications for his athletic career. It could also have implications for RFK Jr. Mediaite reported on Thursday that some of his donors have threatened to ditch him if he taps the quarterback to be his running mate.