Aaron Rodgers Fires Shots at Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes over Home Burglaries & Issues Strong Message for NFL Players

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and now Joe Burrow… We weren’t listing down top ballers, no. All three of them have one thing in common. And that is, they’re part of a more unsettling trend: a wave of home burglaries targeting NFL stars. Imagine suiting up for practice, thinking about your next game-winning drive, only to find out someone’s been rifling through your stuff back home.

Since September, there have been break-ins at the homes of N.B.A. and N.F.L. players in Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio, according to local police departments. As reported by The Athletic, in a memo last month, the N.B.A. said that the F.B.I. had briefed its security team and that it had “connected many of the home burglaries to transnational South American Theft Groups” or S.A.T.G.s. The F.B.I. described these as “well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices,” according to the N.B.A. memo. But Aaron Rodgers does not seem to be worried.

Rodgers has a property in Wisconsin, which has yet to be sold despite him being traded from the Packers for over a year ago. Apparently, someone has been taking care of it in Rodgers’ absence. “In Wisconsin, everybody’s got guns. So, it’s a little less likely,” he said. “Hopefully, my buddies still there, well taken care of.” With his own place secured enough, Rodgers came up with his own take on the burglaries that took place in the other NBA players’ houses.

Rodgers didn’t exactly fumble with his words. But some might say he ran the typical A-Rod route! He suggested players aren’t paying enough attention to their home security, saying, “Guys in general just don’t use it because they don’t have the time or they’re thinking about other things. Or they’re busy playing video games or whatever it is.”

Video games? Really? It felt like a subtle dig, even if he probably didn’t mean it that way. We won’t hover over too much on that, but it is what it is. If we are to go by the fanatics’ title, then he is the NFL diva after all, so take it with a pinch of salt.

He did highlight a valid point, though—NFL players have access to league-provided security resources, and Rodgers admitted he’s used them in the past. “The league has a really good resource… security experts can come out to your house and give you ideas about where to put cameras, where the weak spots are.”

The N.F.L. sent a memo to teams on November 20 regarding the burglaries. It told according to law enforcement agencies, the “organized and skilled groups” seem to be gathering information on potential victims through social media and public records. The N.F.L. advised players to refrain from daily updates to social media,  as well as images of expensive items or their homes.

The N.F.L.’s security department is also in touch with the F.B.I. regarding the burglaries, Roger Goodell, the league’s commissioner, said a few days back during a meeting of N.F.L. officials in Irving, Texas. However, several NBA players have also been victims.

Expensive Jewelry was taken from the Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley Jr. on September 15 during an afternoon break-in at his home, according to Chief Jason Nelson of the Medina Police Department. The next day, in a noontime burglary, property worth more than $100,000 was stolen from the home of Karl-Anthony Towns, who was then a Timberwolves player and is now a center forward with the Knicks, Chief Nelson said.

Still, Rodgers isn’t the only one concerned. He’s been beefing up his security after the Daily Mail decided to reveal where he lived in New Jersey. Because nothing screams “privacy violation” quite like putting your address on blast. The Jets’ QB is clearly not taking chances, especially given the recent burglary at Joe Burrow’s home.

Aaron Rodgers left nothing out

This isn’t just an NFL problem, folks. NBA players like Mike Conley, Bobby Portis, and Karl-Anthony Towns have had their homes targeted too. Being a pro athlete comes with perks, sure, but apparently, it also makes you a magnet for burglaries.

The latest episode? Joe Burrow’s home in Ohio got hit while he was in Dallas for a game. And guess who’s chiming in on the drama? Aaron Rodgers. Leave it to A-Rod to find the quirkiest detail about the whole ordeal.

Rodgers zeroed in on one thing: the 9-1-1 call. And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t Burrow who called. It was Olivia Ponton. Now, before you ask: A reporter? Um, no, an SI model. Yep, she was at Burrow’s place during the break-in. Rodgers couldn’t help but call it “an interesting situation.” Can’t argue with that… If he did suggest something brewing between Ponton and Burrow. But that would be stretching too much, wouldn’t it?

Meanwhile, Burrow kept it real, admitting how much the invasion rattled him. “It’s already way more than I would have liked,” he said, shutting down further questions. Fair dues, you can’t go and ask around about his private life when the guy has just faced a shocker.

Bottom line? Rodgers has a point, sass and all. No, we aren’t talking about the interesting situation. But his point is on the security aspect. Maybe it’s time players start treating home security like game-day strategy—because even off the field, defense wins games.