RFK Jr. is considering Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura as possible running mates

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering a shortlist of candidates for his running mate that includes New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, NBC News confirmed Tuesday.

Kennedy said in an interview last month that he would most likely name his VP pick within the next 30 days. The self-imposed deadline passed in early March with no announcement.

"He’s considering Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura as running mates along with others on a shortlist," a spokesperson for the Kennedy campaign said Tuesday. "No other details available."

The New York Times first reported that Rodgers and Ventura, a former professional wrestler, were on Kennedy's shortlist.

Rodgers and the Jets did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ventura could not be reached for comment.

Ventura, 72, was elected governor of Minnesota in 1998, becoming the first Reform Party candidate to win statewide office. He served one term and did not seek re-election.

Rodgers, 40, a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has won a Super Bowl title and four MVP awards, is expected to return to the field this year after an injury in the first game of the 2023 season kept him on the sidelines.

Rodgers endorsed Kennedy, 70, last year after the two bonded over their opposition to Covid vaccines. On Tuesday afternoon, Rodgers reposted Kennedy’s response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on X, saying, “This is presidential.”

The Democratic National Committee bashed Kennedy's shortlist.

“The Three Stooges reunion no one was asking for. It’s no surprise this is the shortlist considering the conspiracy theorist doing the choosing,” Democratic National Committee senior adviser Mary