Aaron Rodgers donates $500K to small business aid fund

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 15: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates scoring his first running touchdown of the season in the 2nd quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lambeau Field on November 15, 2020 in Green Bay, Wiscon

Aaron Rodgers threw an NFL-leading 48 touchdown passes for the Green Bay Packers. But it's what he did off the field that may be his most important play of the season.

In an interview with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, posted to Instagram on Friday, Jan. 8, the quarterback pledged a $500,000 donation to The Barstool Fund.

The Barstool Fund was created to collect donations for small business owners in need of help due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rodgers' donation matches Portnoy's contribution to the fund, which has raised more than $21 million as of Friday.

"The government is not offering any type of hope for so many people," Rodgers said in the interview. "Those of us who are less fortunate are hoping to get a $2,000 check at some point hit their account. What's that gonna do for most people? This is real money. This is real change."

Rodgers also mentioned that he wanted to present a call to action for teammates, coaches, teams and others to help if they are able to make a contribution.

Businesses in need of assistance can apply for aid at TheBarstoolFund.com/apply.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.