The Associated Press has dropped the voter who refused to select Aaron Rodgers as NFL MVP due to his refusal to get vaccinated.
The publisher of Pro Football Weekly, Hub Arkush, called Rodgers a “jerk” last season after the quarterback revealed that he was not vaccinated.
New voting members will be joining the AP this season due to retirements and deaths, but the AP noted that Arkush violated the rules after revealing who he would (or would not) vote for.
In his January interview on Chicago’s 670 The Score, Arkush recognized that Rodgers would likely win the MVP vote but also stated;
“I don’t think you can be the biggest jerk in the league and punish your team, and your organization and your fan base the way he did and be the Most Valuable Player. Has he been the most valuable on the field? Yeah, you could make that argument. But I don’t think he is clearly that much more valuable than Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Kupp or maybe even Tom Brady. But one of the ways we get to keep being voters is we’re not allowed to say who we are voting for until after the award has been announced. I’m probably pushing the envelope by saying who I’m not voting for.”
Aaron Rodgers would lead the Packers to a 13-4 season, racking up 4,115 passing yards and 37 touchdowns. He received 39 of the 50 potential votes, earning his fourth league MVP award.
Hub Arkush would later issue a written apology to his fellow AP voting members, players, and coaches who have won an AP honor and to Aaron Rodgers himself;
“To Aaron Rodgers, you are one of the greatest players of this generation and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Whether or not you are this year’s MVP is up to the 50-member panel, neither me, nor my critics. I couldn’t possibly be more sorry for dragging all of you into my mess and I hope you will accept my apology.”