Aaron Rodgers continues in his quest to make me like him. On the field, he’s an enemy for the fans of 31 other NFL teams, but off the field, his penchant for speaking the truth in the face of harsh criticism has earned him wide-reaching praise.

About a week ago, I wrote a piece on Rodgers’ interview with Pat McAfee, where the Green Bay QB explained how frustrating it is that talking about healthy living and treatments is so often deemed off-limits in regards to COVID-19. He also spoke about how he’s been maligned for choosing to remain unvaccinated (Rodgers has had COVID-19 and has natural immunity).

Apparently, Rodgers’ contrary views over the last year have rubbed a man named Hub Arkush the wrong way. Though I previously had no idea who he is, from what I can gather, Arkush is a sportswriter in Chicago and is one of the 50 people who vote for the NFL MVP every year.

Here’s what he had to say about Rodgers, per CBS Sports.

“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,” Arkush said, via USA Today. “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. And so, from where I sit, the rest of it is why he’s not gonna be my choice.”

Arkush is undoubtedly referencing the in-season scandal that involved Rodgers using doublespeak regarding his vaccination status — labeling himself in the offseason as “immunized” — a move that created a firestorm between the Packers and the league after it was realized he was unvaccinated (following a positive COVID-19 test) and had broken NFL protocols.

Last I checked, the MVP award isn’t about off-the-field disagreements, and what kind of person would base their vote on where someone stands on the COVID-19 vaccine? Especially given Rodges bears essentially no statistical risk in regards to the virus? That just seems incredibly dumb and contrary to the intent of the award, and this guy is one of the 50 people allowed to make that decision?

Today, Rodgers was asked about Arkush’s comments, and he did not hold back.

Aaron Rodgers on NFL MVP voter who said he wouldn't vote for him:

"I think he’s a bum. I think he's an absolute bum…His problem is I’m not vaccinated. So, if he wants to go on a crusade & collude &…just for this season make it the Most Vaccinated Player, he should do that." pic.twitter.com/IVISxJV7CN

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 5, 2022

Rodgers called Arkush a “bum” multiple times. He then cut right to the chase, asserting the refusal to vote for him is about his vaccination status (which is obvious, in my opinion). Further, Rodgers said Arkush should lose his ability to vote on the MVP award in the future after showing such bias, among other pointed criticisms.

Rodgers is correct here. I don’t care what you think of him personally: the MVP award should never be based on someone’s political views, and arguments over the COVID-19 vaccines have become inherently political. If you’ve watched a minute of the NFL this season, it’s obvious Rodgers is the MVP, and I say that as someone who felt he robbed Drew Brees of the award in 2011. Green Bay is currently operating on another level compared to any other team in the league, and Rodgers is the biggest reason for that.

No MVP voter should be denying their vote to the most qualified candidate in order to simp for the COVID-19 vaccines. That’s silly and counter-productive, never more so than in the context of sports. Arkush deserved the dressing down he got from Rodgers, and perhaps, in the end, some lessons will be learned.