Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is contemplating a shortlist of potential running mates, including New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, as confirmed by NBC News on Tuesday. Rodgers, 40, boasts four NFL Most Valuable Player awards and led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl victory in 2011. Despite a left Achilles tendon rupture in his debut with the Jets last season, Rodgers is anticipated to start for the team this year.
The logistics of simultaneously pursuing the second-highest office in the nation alongside his football career remain unclear. However, Rodgers expressed his aspiration to continue playing in the NFL for “two or three or four more years” in a recent statement. This wouldn’t be Rodgers’ first endeavor beyond football. In 2021, while with the Packers, he participated in auditions to host the quiz show “Jeopardy!”
Kennedy mentioned in an interview last month that he expected to announce his vice-presidential pick within 30 days. However, the self-imposed deadline passed in early March without any declaration.
“A spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign stated on Tuesday that he is contemplating Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura, among others, for his running mate,” said the spokesperson. “No further details are available.”
Photo Cred: Daily Mail
The initial report on Rodgers and Ventura being part of Kennedy’s shortlist came from The New York Times. Ventura, 72, clinched the governorship of Minnesota in 1998, marking the first victory of a Reform Party candidate in statewide elections. He served a single term and opted not to run for re-election.
