Rodgers dragged the ESPN host into the middle of a long-standing rivalry with Kimmel last week

Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty, Megan Briggs/Getty

From left: Pat McAfee and Aaron Rodgers

Pat McAfee is clarifying that Aaron Rodgers is still welcome on his ESPN program, in response to misinformed media reports that suggested the NFL quarterback had been kicked off the show.

The incorrect media reports spawned from Rodgers’ weekly appearances on the show coming to their usual end because the NFL quarterback only appears on the ESPN program during the league’s regular season, which ended this week.

“I never said he’ll never be on the show again,” McAfee, 36, tweeted as part of a lengthy statement Wednesday clarifying the situation. “I hope he chooses to still chat with us.”

McAfee’s lengthy statement comes a week after Rodgers, 40, first drew headlines for insinuating late night host Jimmy Kimmel had ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges in August 2019.

The NFL quarterback’s comment led Kimmel, 56, to threaten to sue in an angry tweet directed at Rodgers. “Your reckless words put my family in danger,” Kimmel tweeted. “Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court.”

Related: Aaron Rodgers Won’t Be on Pat McAfee Show for Remainder of the NFL Season, McAfee Confirms

Vivien Killilea/Getty

Pat McAfee

Kimmel later said Rodgers should apologize for the comment, which the NFL quarterback did not.

Instead, Rodgers skirted around making an apology during his final scheduled appearance on McAfee’s show Tuesday. While dodging an apology, Rodgers instead went on a five-minute rant about COVID-19 vaccines and claimed Kimmel had misunderstood what he said when he baselessly suggested the late night host had nefarious ties to Epstein.

“I totally understand how serious an allegation of pedophilia would be, so for him to be upset about that, I get it,” Rodgers said without apologizing.