NFL quarterback denies rough behavior after viral “Sunday Night Football” clip

Aaron Rodgers was quick to deny a moment caught on camera that had angered viewers.

The 40-year-old NFL star was caught putting his fingers to his nose and then right to his mouth on the sideline during NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast of the New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers game on Sunday.

Fans were quick to speculate that the quarterback was picking his nose on the sideline, sparking a wave of criticism and jokes on social media.

Social media users even joked that Rodgers' move to the sideline after two interceptions was his “third pick of the game.”

But on Tuesday, during his weekly appearance on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers took some time to set the record straight and directly address the rumors.

“It’s already been brought to my attention,” Rodgers said. “At that moment I actually thought, 'I hope the cameras aren't on me right now.' As for the boogs, I've actually never eaten them. I’m very proud of that.”

When host McAfee, 37, suggested that Rodgers must have eaten boogers as a child, Rogers replied: “I honestly didn't.”

Although Rogers denied the gross act, he insisted that what others thought they saw was simply not the case. However, he admitted that it certainly looked that way.

“It’s hard to defend,” he said. “Because this video is a little incriminating. I can tell you that there has to be a side view that shows that it wasn't liquor that actually went into the mouth. It seems I didn’t get in there.”

“It looks bad,” he added.

The booger gate occurred near the end of the Jets' 37-15 loss to Russell Wilson and the Steelers on Sunday. It was the team's fourth straight loss and second straight loss following the firing of head coach Robert Saleh on October 8.