The rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, one of pro football’s oldest, seems to have followed former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers all the way to the New Jersey Meadowlands — and unfortunately, even to the physio’s examining table.
Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on Monday night in his fourth regular-season play as a member of the New York Jets.
A Lack of Empathy in Chicago
In Chicago, where the home team had suffered a lopsided loss to their northern archrival a day earlier, empathy for Rodgers — who holds a career record of 25-5 against Chicago — was nowhere to be found.
The notorious hot-dog stand, the Wieners Circle, wasted no time in sending a message to Rodgers. In 2021, Rodgers had courted controversy by reportedly misleading the public and the Packers organization about his vaccination status. He then further stoked the fire by expressing doubts about vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, even though he claimed not to be an “anti-vaxx flat-Earther.”
True to its reputation, the Wieners Circle didn’t hesitate to address the injured quarterback directly:
The Torn Achilles Cocktail
Just a few miles south of Soldier Field, a neighborhood tavern created an $8 cocktail named the Torn Achilles. Mixing various ingredients, this drink embodies the recent injury suffered by Rodgers.
Even Comedians Chime In
Even before the dust had settled on Rodgers’ devastating sack by the Jets, a comedian took to social media to express his thoughts, albeit with some regret for not being quicker:
Sympathy Wanes in Wisconsin
Even Rodgers’ longtime supporters across the Wisconsin state line seemed unsympathetic, as evidenced by a social media post from a Milwaukee bar:
