More Popular? Jets' Aaron Rodgers or Taylor Swift Boyfriend Travis Kelce?
Even at 40 years old and coming off Achilles surgery, Aaron Rodgers is as popular as ever.
The results of a recent study reveal that the New York Jets' quarterback's name is the most searched amongst NFL players in the state of New Jersey.
Powered by BettingSites, the researchers analyzed Google search data from the past 12 months and use the results to identify the most popular NFL names in each of the 50 United States. In New Jersey, which is home to both Jets' headquarters and MetLife Stadium, Rodgers's name was searched a state-high average of 127,400 times per month.
Unsurprisingly, Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce (97,883 per month), who has grabbed headlines for his public relationship with pop sensation Taylor Swift, was the second-most searched player in the Garden State. Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts (65,742) was third, likely buoyed by the strong Philly fanbase that resides across South Jersey.
Rodgers's popularity, however, reaches far beyond New Jersey according to the study. He headlines the entire tri-state area, earning the most Google searches amongst NFL players in New York and Connecticut, too. In all, Rodgers was, on average, the most-frequently searched name in 13 different states over the past year. Only Kelce (31) can claim more.
In addition to the New York tri-state area, Rodgers was the top name in Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. When Rodgers wasn't first, he was second in more than half of the United States, earning runner-up honors 26 times.
Outside of Rodgers and Kelce, only two players were tops in multiple states. Hurts finished first in Delaware and Pennsylvania while Cincinnati Bengals' signal caller Joe Burrow claimed Ohio and Kentucky.
Meanwhile, Rodgers and Kelce have become rivals of late, stemming from the Kansas City tight end's embrace of Big Pharma. Rodgers, a proponent of medical freedom, has openly criticized Kelce for serving as a Pfizer spokesman and promoting the largely ineffective COVID vaccine.
Unfortunately for Rodgers, with an assist from Swift, Kelce wins the latest installment of the rivalry by being the most searched NFL player of the past 12 months.
