On Tuesday, Netflix released a three-part documentary chronicling the past and present of Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The title of the documentary is “Aaron Rodgers: Enigma,” but after spending over three hours with him, Rodgers feels less like an enigma to me and more like a contradiction.
Rodgers repeatedly says that he doesn’t care what people think of him. But he also agreed to let a camera follow him around for months in what certainly feels like an effort to reset a narrative that has become increasingly negative.
“Enigma” zips us through different eras of the potential future Hall of Fame quarterback’s youth and professional career. We are presented with a complex character seemingly trying to find happiness under the intense microscope of stardom. But while Rodgers claims to squirm in the spotlight, he has also courted plenty of controversy.
But while Rodgers claims to squirm in the spotlight, he has also courted plenty of controversy.
From a football standpoint, Aaron Rodgers is a savant. A man of many physical talents, his acumen and ability to process information quickly and under extreme pressure is proof that his brain doesn’t work the same way as most athletes. Rodgers operates almost as an offensive coordinator or head coach in the huddle. This natural football intelligence is a gift that few in his sport possess. His four Most Valuable Player Awards offer a lot of evidence of this, of course, but the documentary drives it home.
Still, despite those MVP awards and a Super Bowl with the Packers in 2011, we quickly learn two things about Rodgers: The accolades didn’t bring internal peace or happiness, and he’s a perfectionist who feels like that one title wasn’t enough.
Unfortunately, while this aging star’s will to win remains strong, his disastrous season with the Jets proves that mind does not always triumph over matter.
Indeed, this series spends a lot of time on Rodgers’ “journey” off the field. In recent years, his athletic prowess has been overshadowed by various controversies and personal grudges, including Rodgers’ fractured relationship with his family and the fallout from his younger brother’s appearance on the 2016 season of “The Bachelorette.”
Rodgers’ stance on Covid vaccines takes up a large chunk of the third episode. During the 2021 season, Rodgers infamously answered a question regarding his vaccination status by telling reporters he was “immunized.” No follow-up question was asked. But it would later come out that Rodgers was not actually vaccinated. Instead, he had asked for a waiver, claiming he was allergic to one of the ingredients in the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. The NFL denied that request, and a few months later Rodgers was forced to quarantine after testing positive for Covid.
In the documentary, Rodgers expresses some regret about how he answered the vaccination question but doubles down on the idea of “bodily autonomy.” Rodgers also claims flu shots are only 15% effective. But this isn’t true. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have documented many different benefits of the vaccine, including the way it significantly lowers the risk of hospitalization and death. Here we witness in real time the dangers of Rodgers’ “just asking questions” philosophy.
We also learn a lot about Rodgers’ use of the plant-based ayahuasca psychedelic and how it has helped to shape his opinions on spirituality and alternative medicine. But although we follow Rodgers around the world, on retreats in Costa Rica and Peru, little is explained about the natural hallucinogen. Is this all part of the Rodgers mystique? Or just a gap in the storytelling?
Another segment of the documentary highlights Rodgers’ admiration for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On a hike together, RFK Jr. probes Rodgers about his interest in potentially entering politics. Rodgers later talks about being offered Kennedy’s vice presidential post (he subsequently turned it down). The picture that emerges ultimately is of a relatively harmless seeker of truths. And much time is spent showing Rodgers’ quest for a deeper understanding of himself and the world around him. But the reality is more complicated, and Rodgers isn’t simply a misunderstood hippie in an alpha athlete’s body. Rodgers expresses some regret about how he answered the vaccination question but doubles down on the idea of “bodily autonomy.” Often couching his misinformation in pseudoscience or self-help speak, Rodgers has been accused of questioning everything from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s response to the AIDS epidemic to whether Vladimir Putin is really that bad to some odd conspiracies about immigrants in the millitary. But the documentary doesn’t delve deeply into these facets of his “enigmatic” persona. Neither does it mention how Rodgers incorrectly implied Jimmy Kimmel might have been friendly with deceased predator Jeffrey Epstein. (Rodgers gave a half-hearted clarification on the “Pat McAfee Show” in January, while McAfee himself offered a more forceful personal apology.) What does the future hold for Aaron Rodgers? He’s 41 years old and nearing the end of what’s looking like his worst season ever as a professional. Recent reporting from The Athletic suggests massive dysfunction within the Jets organization under the ownership of Woody Johnson. Will Rodgers try to run it back one more time in New York/New Jersey under a new head coach? Or will he seek greener pastures (pun not intended)? Watching Rodgers’ process in the past suggests we may not get answers quite yet. We are all ultimately the sum total of our lived experiences. And Rodgers is no different in that regard. While trying to convey that he is in a better place now emotionally, “Enigma” ultimately leaves you wondering whether Rodgers will ever truly find peace. He constantly speaks about the need to let go of ego. But the documentary suggests that is easier said than done.
Jason Page
Jason Page is the host of the nationally syndicated daily TV show “SportsWrap w/Jason Page.” 
