"Who knew I'd get into vax wars with Aaron Rodgers?"
That's what Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce said to reporters on Friday after the injured New York Jets quarterback mockingly referred to Kelce as "Mr. Pfizer" during his weekly appearance on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show."
Rodgers, who made headlines in 2021 for being unvaccinated against COVID-19, appears to be referring to Kelce's Pfizer ads where he encourages everyone to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccine shots this fall. The commercial aired during the Chiefs' 23-20 win over the Jets on Sunday, where Rodgers (and Taylor Swift) were both present.
“I thought it was pretty good. With the mustache, I look like someone named Mr. Pfizer," Kelce told reporters Friday. "Who knew I'd get into vax wars with Aaron Rodgers, man? Mr. Pfizer against the Johnson and Johnson family over there.”
OPINION:Anti-vaxxer Aaron Rodgers makes a fool of himself mocking Travis Kelce as 'Mr. Pfizer'
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Rodgers returned to the sidelines at MetLife Stadium for the Chiefs-Jets Sunday Night Football matchup for the first time since he tore his Achilles during his Jets debut in Week 1. Rodgers briefly chatted with Kelce before the game and was later asked about the Jets' performance in their three-point loss to the Chiefs.
That's when Rodgers threw a jab at Kelce over the jab.
"There's some sentiment that there's some sort of moral victory out there, that we hung with the champs," Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee show." "Our defense played well and Pat (Mahomes) didn't have a crazy game and Mr. Pfizer (Kelce), we kind of shut him down a little bit."
Rodgers added, "He's doing commercials for Pfizer, so I'm sure he's owning it."
Kelce is owning the nickname. I'm "fully comfortable with him calling me Mr. Pfizer," Kelce said Friday, adding that the moniker even matches his new mustache. Kelce said he opted to do the informational commercials with the pharmaceutical company after receiving his own vaccination.
"I got it because of keeping myself safe, keeping my family safe, the people in this building," Kelce said Friday. "So yeah I stand by it 1000%."
During the Pfizer commercial, a pharmacist asks Kelce if he knows that he can get this season’s COVID-19 shot when he gets his flu shot. “Huh, two things at once,” responds Kelce, who starts thinking of different scenarios involving two activities, like barbecuing while mowing the lawn. Donna Kelce, his mother, even makes an appearance.
"With my schedule, saving time is key," Kelce wrote on Instagram while promoting his commercial, a paid partnership with Pfizer. "The CDC says you can get this season’s updated COVID-19 shot when you get your flu shot if you’re due for both. That’s why I got two shots in one stop!"
Kelce also partnered with Walgreens in June 2021 for a vaccine ad.
The four-time MVP has been an outspoken critic of the COVID-19 vaccine and the NFL's policies surrounding it. Rodgers notably was forced to miss a game in 2021 (against the Chiefs no less) after he tested positive for COVID-19 while playing for the Green Bay Packers after he had previously said he was immunized.
Rodgers was traded to the Jets in April. The franchise is owned by businessman Woody Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceuticals. Johnson & Johnson produces a COVID-19 vaccine.