“The Office” alum Brian Baumgartner is a loyal off-the-field teammate of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“He has a really big heart and is very caring,” the actor told Us Weekly in a story published Thursday. “I am proud to say that he’s a friend.”
Baumgartner, who played Kevin on the workplace sitcom (2005-13), said he met Rodgers at a golf tournament in 2008 and the then-Packers standout attended Baumgartner’s 2014 wedding.
Rodgers has piled up controversies in recent years, from his vaccine skepticism and lying about his inoculation status, to reportedly advancing conspiracytheories.
But Baumgartner has his back.
“The way he’s misunderstood, I think people tend to think of him as a disgruntled or unhappy person,” the actor told Us Weekly. “He’s not that.”
Rodgers’ subpar play for the Jets in a 5-12 season didn’t win him much love from fans either, but Baumgartner was pleased to see his strong performance in the Jets’ season-ending victory over Miami.
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The four-time MVP faces a murky future with the Jets ― and even the NFL in general ― before an almost certain induction into the Hall of Fame down the line.
“If he’s not playing anymore, the league is not as much fun,” Baumgartner said to the outlet.