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Aaron Rodgers Jokes About Receiving So Many Game Balls: ‘They Can Make Anything A Stat’

Aaron Rodgers is excelling in the world of podcasts. He appears every Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” and talks about all things Green Bay Packers. This week in particular, Rodgers talks about getting so many “game balls” they should make it a statistic.

Rodgers this past week reached the 400 touchdown mark in his career while becoming the fastest quarterback to ever do so. Also, he has thrown the least amount of interceptions, for someone who has reached the milestone.

As you can imagine, Rodgers gets a lot of game balls. An exorbitant amount, actually. During “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers talks about the success he’s had and what it means to hit that touchdown mark.

Rodgers speaks candidly during his time on the show. He also spends a lot of his time joking about what the milestone means to him. He clearly isn’t one to take his playing for granted but does think that statistics are a bit overrated.

Rodgers Talks About His 400th TD

First, Rodgers starts by talking about how special getting to the milestone is for him.

“It’s special for sure. I didn’t realize how maybe, tuned in everyone was. As early as a few weeks, I knew I was getting closer, but I wasn’t sure where I was at.”

Again, Rodgers doesn’t really pay attention to outside noise. Rather, he focuses solely on the game he is so good at playing. Makes enough sense.

Evidently, this has made him one of the game’s best quarterbacks. He adds that focusing on accolades while playing is something he doesn’t do, but will certainly look back fondly on.

“So, I was aware I was three away going [into last Sunday’s game]. I wasn’t aware how much the guys were [aware of how close I was]. I’m not one to stop games or to have overt celebrations for milestones. I feel like they should happen in the flow of the game, and they’re exciting, definitely, but they’re more legacy things you look back at when you’re done playing.”

Quickly, the conversation takes on a more comedic aspect. Rodgers jokes that he doesn’t have all of his souvenir touchdown pass balls because of his teammates.

“To actually get the ball, I’ve said it a few times, but JJ [Nelson] threw 100 in the stands. ‘Te caught his first touchdown on 200. 300 was a little shovel pass, I really didn’t do a lot of work, and 400 being the little swing pass to ‘Te.”

Are Statistics Ridiculous?

AJ Hawk, one of the co-hosts asks Rodgers what he’s done with all the game balls he’s gotten over the years.

So, what do you do with that 400-ball, and how many, I guess, how many balls from your career have you kept? Where do you put ’em? To which Rodgers says, “A lot. There was a time when we were giving a lot of footballs out, like, every week. Before they stopped giving me as many game balls, I was getting one or two a week, every week, for a while. So, I have a few storage units.”

Rodgers continues in a hilarious rant that these days, there are too many statistics about random things.

“You know what they can do with stats, they can make everything a stat. You’re the first person to have, uh you know, to have six games in a row where you completed 22 or more passes for at least 7.3 average [yards]. And at least three of them were tipped and, or dropped by your teammates and you didn’t yell at anybody for five straight games. And with, uh, at least five touchdowns in those six at home and at least two of them came in inclement weather.”

Though Rodgers is an incredible quarterback, who is steadily becoming one of the all-time greats, he has an impressive ability for humor. However, at the very least, Rodgers is certainly on track for more impressive things this year and his career. Perhaps there’s a super bowl waiting for him at the end of the season.