Aaron Rodgers begins his first season as a New York Jet. After eighteen seasons in Green Bay, the thirty-nine-year-old quarterback has begun training camp with a new team. With Rodgers’s arrival, there is plenty of optimism, but there is also natural skepticism due to his age. He would address that in a recent interview with DiPietro & Rothenberg on 98.7 ESPN New York.
Towards the end of the clip Rodgers goes into describing his diet.
“I’ve made some changes this offseason with some training and diet. I haven’t eaten a lot of bananas or fruit in a while, or anything processed. I’ve been kinda just sticking to a lot of protein and fats, and body feels good, joints feel good.”
Aaron Rodgers on changes in his diet this offseason
No fruits and nothing processed, but a lot of protein and fats. What Rodgers is describing sounds like the carnivore diet.
The carnivore diet, sometimes called the all-meat diet, focuses on consuming meat and animal products only. Being almost exclusively meat-only, this diet centers around high-protein, high-fat, and ideally zero-carb consumption. This means no fruits, vegetables, grains, or other plant-based foods.
Rafatjah, Dr. Soyona. “The Carnivore Diet: Benefits, Risks & How to Follow – Prime Health Denver.” PrimeHealth Denver, 6 Apr. 2023, primehealthdenver.com/carnivore-diet/.
While Rodgers did not specifically say he was on the carnivore diet, the excerpt above aligns with what he mentioned. Rodgers also said that his body feels better and this could be due to reduced inflammation, which also jibes with the carnivore diet.
It is a common occurrence to hear NFL players talk about how good they feel after the offseason. However, we typically see them opt for different styles of diets. Remember when Cam Newton went vegan?
After Newton made the switch to a vegan diet, the one-time MVP never produced like he once did. Newton suffered a shoulder injury that would require surgery in 2018. In 2019, he went down with a season-ending foot injury. Then, in 2020, Newton was released by the Panthers. He was then picked up by the New England Patriots, and started 15 games. However, that team went on to finish 7-9 and miss the playoffs. The Patriots then drafted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones and Newton’s time in New England ended shortly after.
Newton and Carolina reunited in 2021. However, there was little happiness as the Panthers went winless in Newton’s five starts. That was also the last time we saw Newton play in the NFL.
Cam Newton was 32 years old when he last played in the NFL. In an era that has seen quarterbacks play into their late-thirties and even forties, it is unusual to see a former number one overall pick and MVP not have such longevity. The aforementioned Rodgers will actually turn 40 during this season (on December 2, to be exact).
While we do not know if the vegan diet is to blame for derailing Newton’s career, the injuries that mounted surely coincide with this change going back to 2018.
Aaron Rodgers already has a Hall of Fame career. Now, as he begins a second act, will it be a carnivore diet that keeps him going?
One of the promoted benefits of the carnivore diet is improved mood. By the looks of it, Rodgers seems happy with his new teammates.
I guess the gift helps, too.
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