Kelce's jab stems from Rodgers' weekly appearances on 'The Pat McAfee Show'
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has dubbed Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce "Mr. Pfizer," as the latter is one of the new spokespeople for the COVID-19 vaccine.
While Kelce had previously played it off, saying "I look like someone named Mr. Pfizer," he decided to take a slight jab at Rodgers during a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Rodgers, who has voiced his opinion on not wanting to take the coronavirus vaccine, used one of his "The Pat McAfee Show" appearances on Tuesdays to call Kelce "Mr. Pfizer." Kelce pointed out that those guest spots for Rodgers, who tore his Achilles just four plays into his Week 1 debut with the Jets, are his "game days" now.
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, #8, participates in a drill at the NFL football team's training facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, Thursday, July 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
"Aaron’s always been cool to me," Kelce said to the Wall Street Journal in an in-depth profile. "I knew he was trying to have some fun.
"He’s in a situation where Tuesdays are his game days… So I get it, man, I’ve been injured too… Who knows what the guy is going through?"
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Kelce and Rodgers have been seen together during the season, though, with Rodgers turning heads on Oct. 1 when he was throwing balls at MetLife Stadium prior to the Jets taking on the Chiefs in primetime.
Kelce divulged their conversation, which was seen on the MetLife Stadium turf that Sunday night.
Travis Kelce, #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs, talks on his phone after a game against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
"I didn’t shoot him a text or anything like that (when he got hurt) so just wanted to go up to him and tell him how excited I was and how bummed out we were he got banged up and needed to get surgery," Kelce said of his talk with Rodgers on his "New Heights" podcast alongside his Philadelphia Eagles center older brother, Jason Kelce.
Kelce’s excitement was similar to what every Jets fan was going through in this new Rodgers era, as hype was consistently being built leading up to Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football."
However, the hype train came to a crashing halt when Rodgers tore his Achilles and came out of the game, with a sold-out MetLife Stadium not knowing what the future held.
"You hate to see the great ones go down with injury," Kelce added on his podcast. "I went up to him to tell him we were all hurting for him and hopefully he gets healthy quickly."
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. (Getty Images)
Thanks to a "speed bridge" procedure to repair the Achilles, Rodgers has been healing quickly. He reportedly told the Jets that he wishes to practice with them soon, and a return date near Week 16 (Dec. 24) could be in play as long as the Jets are in playoff contention.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
