Aaron Rodgers, the NFL superstar whom the Jets have finally landed after a whirlwind completion of trade talks with Green Bay, is a fascinating and multifaceted individual. He's one of the best QBs to play the game, but he's also got a lot going on off the field, too. Here are eight things we found out more about as we researched the Jets' new veteran Hall of Fame quarterback:
Touchdown Celebration
Rodgers has become known for his unique end zone celebration, "the Championship Belt," which he started as the Green Bay backup to Brett Favre in 2005-07 to fire up the Packers' scout team offense. After a TD, he makes a motion as if strapping on an invisible title belt around his midsection. The demonstration is endorsed by former WWE superstar Triple H: "That's an important factor, facing the cameras ... Boom! There it is, telling the whole world we're going to be champions." Fans have been doing it at Lambeau Field forever. The move has even spawned its own Facebook page.
Pitchman Supreme
"The Championship Belt" has even risen to the level of commercial meme in Rodgers' humorous State Farm TV ads, with the insurance company renaming the move the "Discount Double Check." Aaron also has done Pizza Hut commercials as well as multiple advertisements for Wisconsin-based businesses.
Cheesehead Forever
"I love the city, I love the region," he told espn.com in January about Green Bay and the Badger State. "I'm a minority owner in the Bucks. I'm going to be a part of the region long after I'm done playing."
Yes, in case you missed it, Rodgers in 2018 became a limited partner in the Milwaukee Bucks, making him the first active NFL player with a stake in an NBA franchise.
Jets welcome four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. Take a look at his 18-year career through photos.
Career in Jeopardy? Not Yet
In between Packers seasons, Rodgers dabbled in the game-show biz. On May 12, 2015, he entered Celebrity Jeopardy! — and cleaned up. Rodgers, a fan of the show since he was a child, defeated Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary and then-astronaut Mark Kelly.
Alex Trebek, the Jeopardy! icon who also hosted that celebrity event, died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. Rodgers, who called Trebek "one of my idols," was among those who filled in after Trebek's passing, doing a two-week gig guest-hosting the show from April 5-16, 2021.
A Real TV Comedian
As his Jeopardy! experiences might indicate, he's at home in front of the cameras whether in a studio or on the field. He's made appearances in episodes of The Office in 2013. Key & Peele in '15 and Game of Thrones in '19. He even appeared in a cameo as the host of Jeopardy! for an episode of The Conners in '21.
Charitable Guy
In his Celebrity Jeopardy! win, Rodgers earned $50,000 for his designated charity, the MACC Fund, which fights childhood cancer and blood disorders and which he's supported since 2010.
That's far from the only charitable endeavor Rodgers has been involved in. He is the founder and co-creator of itsAaron, whose mission is to create "awareness for organizations and people who are changing the world." He also is or has been a supporter of It's A Penalty (which combats human trafficking), Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Feeding America, the Jimmy Fund and the Make-A-Wish Foundation,
A Fan of Multiples of Four
Senior ESPN Insider Adam Schefter said Rodgers "is expected to wear No. 8." Rodgers wore that single digit at Cal in 2003-04, after wearing No. 4 at Butte Community College in 2002. And that after wearing 12 at Pleasant Valley HS in Chico, CA. So he seems to be a fan of multiples of four. Yet on the current Jets, 12 hasn't been worn since Namath left the Jets after the 1976 season, while D.J. Reed wears 4. Elijah Moore wore 8 until he was traded to Cleveland. Yet as Rodgers in mid-March on the The Pat McAfee Show, "There'll be time for all those conversations down the road."
