New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers took to social media Thursday to say he believes the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting actually happened and was "an absolute tragedy."

He said he has "never been of the opinion that the events did not take place" and offered his thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims:

Rodgers' comments come after Pamela Brown and Jake Tapper of CNN reported the quarterback previously shared "deranged conspiracy theories" regarding the shooting with two people, one of whom was Brown—though the signal-caller did not directly address the report Thursday.

Brown explained she was introduced to Rodgers when covering the 2013 Kentucky Derby, and he "immediately began attacking the news media for covering up important stories" when he discovered her profession.

In regard to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 children and six adults in Connecticut, Brown said Rodgers explained he believed it was a government inside job.

The other person CNN spoke to also said the quarterback claimed, "Sandy Hook never happened…All those children never existed. They were all actors."

Rodgers has been in the public eye as a quarterback for Green Bay Packers and Jets, but he could generate even more headlines in the coming months if he shifts into the political world. Brown and Tapper reported independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering the 40-year-old among possible vice-presidential prospects.

Rodgers spent the first 18 years of his NFL career on the Packers and joined the Jets ahead of the 2023 campaign. However, he appeared in just one game last season before suffering a torn Achilles.