Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced he has reconciled with his brother Jordan Rodgers and their parents, Ed and Darla Rodgers, ending a years-long estrangement.
Rodgers shared the update on the "Not Just Football" podcast, stating that recent events prompted him to seek reconciliation with his parents first. He met them at the home he purchased for them in Chico, California, before their move to Nashville, Tennessee.
"There’s been a few things that have happened the last couple of years, which has made the idea of reconciling with my parents first an opportunity," Rodgers said on the podcast.
Following the reunion with his parents, Rodgers traveled to Nashville and reconnected with his older brother, Luke Rodgers, before meeting with Jordan a few weeks later. "It was cool," Rodgers commented. "There were tough conversations for sure, but I’m just in a much better headspace."
Rodgers credited his wife, Brittani, for encouraging him to reconcile with his family, noting that her unconditional love changed his perspective on his own relationships. He admitted that ego and judgment had previously prevented him from considering reconnecting.
The quarterback also addressed the public nature of his family's rift, particularly Jordan's comments during his appearance on "The Bachelorette" with JoJo Fletcher. At the time, Jordan mentioned his strained relationship with Aaron, stating that Aaron had chosen a different path.
Rodgers explained his decision to keep the details of the feud private, though he acknowledged that other family members had spoken about it, sometimes without full knowledge of the situation.
"I decided I didn’t want to play this out in the media because I didn’t think that was right," he said. "Now, other members of my family would say things, whether the intent was to harm — a couple times it was by a few of them, a couple times they really didn’t know what was going on."
Rodgers shared that he had spent a week bonding with his family in July, posting photos on Instagram with his parents and Luke. Although Jordan was not present in those initial photos, he later confirmed to NFL Network's Kyle Brandt that he had mended his relationship with all family members.
"Now, full circle, [we’re] back together," Rodgers said. "It’s been great to have all those people — my little brother, my older brother and his family, my parents — that’s been really, really special."