Aaron Rodgers has reignited his bitter feud with the NFL’s top medical brass after taking a swipe at them over the handling of Jalen Hurts‘ blood clots diagnosis.
Hurts was diagnosed with blood clots after taking a cleat to his calf against the Los Angeles Rams before then playing in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to reports, Hurts took to the field having barely slept after staying in the hospital until 4am the night before the game. After flying back to the US, the quarterback was placed on injured reserve and missed their loss to the Panthers.
The news sparked dismay among fans and led to the NFL players’ association calling for a ‘full investigation’ into the matter earlier this week.
On top of that, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Rodgers has now offered his take on the issue, calling out the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer in the process.
Speaking to reporters in Paris ahead of the Steelers clash with the New Orleans Saints, Rodgers said: ‘I don’t have a close relationship with Jalen.
Aaron Rodgers has reignited his bitter feud with the NFL’s top medical brass after taking a swipe at them over the handling of Jalen Hurts’ blood clots diagnosis.
Hurts was diagnosed with blood clots after taking a cleat to his calf against the Rams
‘Obviously we’re in the quarterback fraternity, so you don’t want to see anything like that happen to anybody, especially a guy who’s still in football.
‘Obviously, I don’t know all the details about what’s going on. All I’ve seen is what’s been printed. Allen Sills, he’s the guy in charge of all things medical at the NFL office.
‘And he and I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye about things. So, I can’t say I’m surprised,’ the veteran signal-caller added.
The pointed comments reopen old wounds between Rodgers and the league’s medical department after they famously clashed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in 2021, Rodgers became embroiled in a nationwide firestorm when he petitioned for the league to accept alternative treatments in place of the mandatory vaccination protocols overseen by Sills.
The NFL firmly rejected his appeal, resulting in Rodgers being penalized and sparking an ongoing skepticism towards league-mandated health directives.
Back in August, Rodgers unleashed at ‘coward’ and ‘criminal’ Anthony Fauci in a no-holds-barred appearance on Pat McAfee’s ESPN show, in the wake of his decision to continuously plead the fifth amendment in a hostile senate hearing.
‘Absolute coward,’ he said of Fauci. ‘Are you kidding me? You got a pardon and you pleaded over 100 times? What are you scared of, Tony? I thought you were the science?
Dr Allen Sills (L) and Jeff Miller (R) launched a passionate defense of the handling of Hurts
The NFL players’ association has called for a ‘full investigation’ into the treatment of Hurts
‘No, seriously, now that you can’t talk about the Covid stuff, because obviously that was made in a lab in China… that’s not even questionable any more. Tony Fauci is an absolute criminal, I’m on good terms with my family, what are you going to say now?’
Meanwhile, the scrutiny surrounding Hurts has intensified in recent days, with the NFLPA calling for a formal inquiry into how the Eagles and league physicians managed the quarterback’s condition.
Sills has aggressively defended the medical personnel involved, dismissing suggestions that external competitive pressures compromised Hurts’ well-being.
‘The notion that there’s external factors that any of our physicians would put a player in harm’s way – that’s nonsense,’ Sills said.
