The Office star Brian Baumgartner debunked some of the unsavory narratives surrounding his friend, Aaron Rodgers.
The actor, 52, met the NFL quarterback in the summer of 2008 when the two played at the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Since then, Baumgartner and Rodgers, 41, have become close buddies, with Rodgers even attending Baumgartner’s 2014 wedding to his wife, Celeste Ackelson.
Baumgartner will return to the links later this month to compete against the best golfers on the LPGA Tour at the Hilton Grand Vacations 2025 Tournament of Champions in Orlando.
As for Rodgers — who has stoked controversy for his stance on vaccines, his touting of conspiracy theories and more — Baumgartner said there’s a side to his friend that not everybody always gets to see.
“He has a tremendous heart,” Baumgartner exclusively told Us Weekly. “He really does. The way he’s misunderstood, I think people tend to think of him as a disgruntled or unhappy person. He’s not that.”
Baumgartner continued, “He has a really big heart and is very caring. I am proud to say that he’s a friend.”
With Rodgers’ football future up in the air — the veteran quarterback is coming off a wildly disappointing season with the Jets, which saw New York finish the season 5-12 — Baumgartner expressed optimism about Rodgers’ final performance of the season, which saw Rodgers throw 4 touchdowns in a January 5 win over the Miami Dolphins.
“I don’t know what he’s gonna do,” Baumgartner said. “I will tell you, it was really fun to see that last game against the Dolphins. I don’t know if ‘back’ is the right word, but it was fun to see him playing at such a high level — to be enjoying it, to be making all the throws, to be scrambling.”
He added, “I’m not going to make excuses. He doesn’t need me to do that for him. But it was very clear that he was injured early in the year. I do wish we had seen a healthier Aaron Rodgers during the first part of the season before things got away.”
Baumgartner hinted that retirement is firmly on the table for Rodgers, but he’s hopeful that his friend will give things one more shot before calling it a career.
“If he’s not playing anymore, the league is not as much fun,” he argued. “I certainly would love to see him play more. I don’t know if it’ll happen or where it could happen.”
While Rodgers ponders his gridiron future, Baumgartner has the Hilton Grand Vacations 2025 Tournament of Champions in Orlando to look forward to, where the actor will complete with fellow celebrities and actors like Don Cheadle, Blake Griffin, Anthony Anderson and Alfonso Ribeiro alongside the best golfers the LPGA Tour has to offer, including Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda and Celine Boutier.
“It’s so fun to play with these women when they’re dialed in,” Baumgartner gushed. “That’s a thrill for me. Ultimately, I know why I’m there. I’m there to have a good time and to help the people there watching have a good time. And I hope I hit a few good shots that the people watching are surprised about.”
The Hilton Grand Vacations 2025 Tournament of Champions takes place at Orlando’s Lake Nona Golf & Country Club from January 30 to February 2.
