Rodgers wrecked his off-the-field reputation

One reason people hire PR agents is to help manage their reputation. They want others to see them positively in public. They want to be sure they don’t come off as smug —or timid, for that matter. A happy medium for a front-facing person isn’t always easy, so they hire a specialist to help them.

Either New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers never had public relations support, or he’s ignored it.  The result is that few believe what he says about anything anymore.

Once a seemingly chill, yet driven athlete for the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers won a Super Bowl title and broke a bunch of records. After several years in the limelight, his ego seemed to walk blocks ahead of his football intelligence. That’s tough, because his football IQ is off-the-charts. Whether it was playing word games with reporters or sharing controversial opinions, the once somewhat relatable guy from Chico, California became a walking, talking, passing egomaniac. The result? Today when he says something, as he did when he tried to explain his involvement or lack thereof about Jets’ coach Robert Saleh’s firing, public sentiment showed he was fresh out of benefits of doubts. The greater public no longer trusts what he says. 

We don’t care what Rodgers knew or didn’t about Saleh’s firing.

This isn’t to say he knew or didn’t know or influence Saleh’s firing; to most of us, it doesn’t matter. It’s perception. During a segment with The Pat McAfee Show, he made what felt like a snide comment when he said he resents “patently false” allegations that he influenced Jets’ owner Woody Johnson’s decision to fire Saleh five games into the 2024 season. The Jets were losing games. We get it. We also see how Rodgers has influenced much of what the team has done with personnel since he went to New York, so … perception.

Perception is reality to the public.

If you’ve taken SIDEbar 101, you know perception can equal reality to consumers. Reality — Rodgers often talks down to fans and the media, even while at times he seems to crave their love. Perception — He wants you to think he’s the smartest guy on the planet. Reality — He set the stage a while ago. Even when it’s not justified, football fans direct his words to the nearest dumpster because there’s little thought that any of his words are salvageable. Again, perception and reality dancing cheek-to-cheek.

If you learn one thing from the way Aaron Rodgers handles things off the field, it’s that we’re smart to check ourselves once in a while. If you sound like a jerk once, you can do a make-good on what people think. But do it two or 200 times? If you don’t see there’s a problem when people doubt you, own it and move on.

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© 2024 Gail Sideman, gpublicity.com

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