LOS ANGELES — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks pandemic czar Dr. Anthony Fauci is a coward for invoking the 5th Amendment more than 100 times before Congress last week.

Fauci's attorney thinks Rodgers has no idea what he's talking about and says the future Hall of Famer should stay in his lane.

Here's how we got to this point.

The setup

A four-time league MVP who spent 18 years with the Green Bay Packers and two with the New York Jets, Rodgers is entering his second season with the Steelers and the final season of his NFL career. On Monday, he appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show," which was broadcasting remotely from Steelers camp in Latrobe, Pa.

Rodgers used to make weekly appearances on McAfee's show and would often use the platform to make controversial comments. He stopped the regular appearances last season, and has kept a relatively low profile during his time with Pittsburgh — until this week.

McAfee started the interview by asking about Rodgers' mindset going into his final season. The Super Bowl XLV MVP seemed to have an answer already prepared.

"I'm gonna plead the 5th … like that absolute coward Tony Fauci," Rodgers said. "Absolute coward."

'What are you scared of, Tony?'

On July 29, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases declined to answer question after question from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fauci did so to avoid possibly being accused of lying under oath. Even though he received a pardon from President Biden early last year, some Republicans had suggested that Fauci could still be charged if he committed perjury during the hearing. Republican senators insist that the pardon left Fauci ineligible for 5th Amendment protections.

Rodgers spent nearly 30 minutes on McAfee's show — the first seven-plus on ESPN and the remainder on YouTube — with at least a third of it dedicated to airing his grievances, particularly with Fauci and the way unvaccinated NFL players were treated during the COVID era (with a few shots at ESPN thrown in).

"You got a pardon and you pleaded over 100 times at the White House? What are you scared of, Tony?" Rodgers said. "I thought you were the science ... and then you get up there and you can't answer a question? What are we doing? And how much time did the network spend — how much time did they spend on my responses every week, on my vaccination status, on Taylor and Travis' wedding? Did they do even a minute on Tony Fauci? Nah, I bet they didn't."

Rodgers added: "What're you gonna say about me now? What're you gonna say about me now? No, seriously, what are they gonna say about me now? Now they can't talk about the COVID stuff because obviously it was made in a lab in China — that's like not even questionable anymore. Tony Fauci is an absolute criminal. I'm on good terms with my family. What are you gonna say now? What are you gonna say now?"

Why this matters to Rodgers

During the 2021 season, NFL players who had not received a COVID-19 vaccination were subject to daily tests for the virus and restrictions, such as wearing masks inside team facilities and practicing social distancing.

Rodgers did not get vaccinated — he has said he's allergic to an ingredient in the vaccines — and instead opted for an alternative treatment to help prevent him from getting the virus. Still, he told reporters he was "immunized" and did not follow all of the league's protocols for unvaccinated players.

In early November 2021, Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted he had "misled people about my status." He was fined $14,650 for the protocol violation and missed a game because unvaccinated players had to isolate for 10 days after testing positive.

Rodgers clearly still had a lot to get off his chest during Tuesday's show.

"A lot of people had probably fake vac cards back in the day, too," Rodgers said. "They didn't have a problem with that. I mean, I remember seeing some of the vax cards. It was, like, written in crayon. I'm like, all right, so we're gonna pass that on, but we're gonna be second-rate citizens over here — I gotta wear a yellow armband, train in the back, can't be around more than three people.

"Oh, you know, you got to wear a mask when you do your your interview, and all of us are going to be masked up the entire time back here, 20 feet away from you, because that's safety first. What crock of s— we had to go through! Crazy times."

Although McAfee tried changing the subject multiple times during the first several minutes of the interview, the host eventually embraced the topic and applauded Rodgers for standing "on your side of the truth throughout the entirety of that thing."

"Your name was slandered," McAfee told Rodgers. "You were called a murderer. You were called a lot of things."

'Stick to football'

Fauci hasn't responded publicly to Rodgers' comments. His attorney, David Schertler, did express his own opinion on the matter to the Athletic.

"Aaron Rodgers doesn't know what he's talking about," Schertler said in an email. "He should stick to football."

On Tuesday, Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten said in a statement: "Discussions around culture and politics can bring differing perspectives, and our players are entitled to their own personal views. With respect to that, I am certain there are a variety of opinions on many topics within our locker room."

Steelers coach Mike McCarthy on Tuesday referred to that statement when asked by reporters about Rodgers' comments.

"These are grown men," McCarthy added. "They all have different opinions. There's no question about that. But at the end of the day, my job is to keep it about football, keep the focus on winning. That's why we're here."

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