Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, who has spoken out against COVID-19 mitigation measures in schools, said Friday that he’d lost a commercial deal with Uber Eats due to his “views,” telling fans it “frees up my weekend.”
The 38-year-old tweeted that he “lost a commercial with Uber Eats partnering with the NFL.”
“Was going to film in LA, ‘views aren’t aligned,’” he wrote. “Guess they don’t like future School board members. Frees up my weekend.”
Cutler, a former Chicago Bears quarterback, was apparently dropped from the ad campaign after saying he opposed mask mandates for schoolchildren amid rising rates of coronavirus infections. In a statement to People, Uber Eats confirmed that it cut ties with Cutler because they were not on the same page about public health measures.
“We are proud of all the work Uber has done over the last year to help get as many people vaccinated as a possible,” Uber Eats told the magazine. “As such, we prefer to partner with those who support that work.”
Last week, Cutler tweeted that he was not among the many parents calling for a mask mandate for schoolchildren in Williamson County, Tennessee.
He later tweeted that he’d learned the next local school board election is scheduled for 2024, and that he’d be gathering signatures on a petition to run.
“Going to start getting John Hancocks today,” he wrote Thursday.
Coronavirus cases in Tennessee have been “steadily rising since July,” according to a New York Times database. The Times reports that as of Sunday, the state had “recorded its highest weekly average of coronavirus cases since late January.”
Cases of COVID-19 and subsequent hospitalizations have been on the rise among children in particular, as the delta variant of the virus continues to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended “universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.”
On Monday, Cutler thanked his fans for supporting his stance, and said he didn’t understand why others were criticizing him.
“What I don’t understand is the people verbally attacking me,” he wrote. “What happened to unity, acceptance and bringing people together? Seems like that isn’t the case unless I agree with you. Get a shot or wear a mask. Your choice. I will make my choice.”
Later that day, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed an executive order giving parents the choice to decide whether their child wears a mask at school. In response to that, Cutler tweeted: “Nice work.”
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