Aaron Rodgers' anti-vaccine stance forces him out of NFL's most-liked players list

Aaron Rodgers is undeniably one of the most well-known players in the NFL. If one turns on a sports talk show or even a general talk show, a topic surrounding Rodgers may eventually turn up.

However, just because he is well known doesn't mean he is well-liked. According to a new poll result released by Morning Consult, Aaron Rodgers is no longer in the top-20 most-liked player list.

Here's why.

Why is Aaron Rodgers' popularity suffering?

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Last year, the quarterback was ranked third on the list, falling behind only Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees. Having thrown 37 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2021, his quality of play hasn't eroded, which is generally a core catalyst that could lead to a player falling out of favor with fans.

The only other primary change from last year to this year is the COVID-19 controversy surrounding Rodgers.

Earlier this season, he was discovered to have duped the media by convincing them he was vaccinated when he was not. Whenever he was asked about COVID, he would say he was "immunized" instead of "vaccinated."

He was able to fool the media for much of the season until he caught the virus.

Since then, his stance on COVID-19 has turned off many fans. In the eyes of anti-vaxers, he is a hero. In the eyes of those in favor of the vaccines, he is a villain.

In their eyes, he is spreading the wrong message and as such, they have turned on him. Of course, just because he's not on the list does not mean he is an unpopular player.

There are more than 1,000 players in the NFL and one could expect him to still reside in the top ten percent.

Other players present on the list include Patrick Mahomes, Rob Gronkowski, Russell Wilson, Josh Allen, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Travis Kelce, Joe Burrow, Ben Roethlisberger, Dak Prescott, and others.

The survey was conducted by polling between 513-621 adults per player. Meaning, about 10,000 people were polled.

However, the survey doesn't detail the types of questions used or where the polling numbers were obtained. As such, his defenders may have plenty of ammunition to defend their quarterback.

Another piece to argue is that Rodgers has been voted to start in the Pro Bowl. Considering the vote is largely equal to a popularity contest, one can surmise that the quarterback is still in the top three in the NFC in terms of popularity.

Fans of Brett Favre's disciple should rest assured that their quarterback has not suddenly fallen off the face of the earth.