Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers unleashed a strong critique of Dr. Anthony Fauci, calling the former top infectious disease expert a "criminal" during a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show." Rodgers' remarks targeted Fauci's repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment during a Senate committee hearing concerning the U.S. government's COVID-19 pandemic response.
Rodgers, who faced public scrutiny in 2021 for his unvaccinated status, drew parallels between himself and Fauci. "I’m going to plead the fifth… like that absolute coward, Tony Fauci," Rodgers stated. "You got a pardon and you pleaded [the fifth] over 100 times. What are you scared of Tony? I thought you were the science, and he gets up there and can’t answer a question."
Fauci, who previously directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during a contentious Senate hearing on July 29, 2026. According to reports, he used this constitutional right even when asked seemingly simple questions, such as the color of his tie or the current day of the week.
The quarterback also criticized ESPN for its past coverage of his own COVID-19 vaccine stance, contrasting it with what he perceived as a lack of coverage regarding Fauci's hearing. Rodgers questioned the network's allocation of resources to his personal vaccination status and other celebrity news compared to the Fauci hearing.
Rodgers further asserted that the origins of COVID-19 are no longer questionable, stating, "it was made in a lab in China." He also commended ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith for apologizing to basketball player Kyrie Irving regarding his refusal to comply with New York's COVID-19 vaccine mandate at the time. Rodgers suggested that Smith's shift in perspective was influenced by observing Fauci's testimony.
Rodgers' own history with COVID-19 protocols includes testing positive in November 2021 after stating he was "immunized" rather than vaccinated. He received alternative treatment from his doctor, which the NFL and NFLPA determined did not qualify as vaccination, leading to a fine for violating COVID protocols.
McAfee, host of the show, defended his past association with Rodgers, noting that he himself received backlash, including being called a "murderer," for platforming Rodgers' decisions during the pandemic. He expressed that seeing Fauci's situation prompted him to consider the past scrutiny directed at Rodgers. Rodgers concluded by expressing confidence that he would ultimately be seen as being on the "right side of history."