Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has taken a swipe at his younger brother Jordan, weeks after reconciling with his parents following a years-long family rift.
Aaron, 42, is the middle child of Ed and Darla Rodgers. While his podcaster older brother Luke and his TV-personality younger brother Jordan stayed close with their Northern California-based parents, Aaron became estranged from the family over a dispute that has never been fully explained publicly.
"I've been really staunch, going back to when there was a schism, that I feel like that stuff should be off limits," Aaron told The Athletic in an article published Monday. "Now, not everybody in the family adhered to the same thing…"
Aaron did not name Jordan directly, but it was Jordan who first revealed the family rift publicly, years earlier, as a contestant on ABC's The Bachelorette.
Jordan's Bachelorette Comments
"Me and Aaron don't really have that much of a relationship," Jordan said during a filmed family meal at the Rodgers home in Chico, California. "It's just kind of the way he's chosen to do life, and I've chosen to stay close with my family and my parents and my brother."
"Yeah, it's not ideal, and I love him," Jordan continued, as quoted by the New York Post. "I can't imagine what it's like to be in his shoes and have the pressure he has, the demands from people that he has. I don't have hard feelings against him. It's just how things are right now."
That family dinner featured two empty chairs, conceivably left for Rodgers and his then-girlfriend, actress Olivia Munn.
Aaron's Response in Enigma Documentary
Aaron addressed the episode in the 2024 documentary Enigma. "They go on a bulls*** show and leave two empty chairs?" he said. "They all agree that this is a good thing to do, to leave two empty chairs at a stupid dating show that my brother just went on to get famous. His words, not mine."
In the same documentary, Aaron made cryptic remarks about his family's Christian faith, which he described as a "merit-based spirituality." He said his relationship with Jordan had suffered because of "stuff from high school … stuff in college, stuff post-college."
Family Reunion Last Month
The family appeared to turn a page last month, when Aaron shared photos of himself with his parents, Luke and Luke's two children.
Aaron, a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player who spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers before stints with the New York Jets and now the Steelers, posted a series of images on social media showing him spending time with his older brother.
He was also pictured tinkering with children's toys for Luke's two children.
Jordan, who has worked as a college football analyst since his stint on The Bachelorette, was not pictured in the reunion photos. Neither was Aaron's new wife, Brittani.
Wife Brittani's Role in the Reconciliation
Aaron credited Brittani with helping bring him back into the family fold. "…there are different things, situations, experiences, and people that actually change your life," he told The Athletic. "So, when I say that my wife has completely changed my life, for the better, there's no comparison to any time I've ever said those words before."
"She is the big impetus behind that [reconciliation]," he continued. "Not that she was pushing it, but just the way that she loves me and supports me, it's allowed me to open up to that possibility. And it's been a couple-year process of communication and spending time together, but that is a real blessing in my life to have those relationships back and to close that circle that was cut for so many years. With her by my side, we reopened that door, and it's been really beautiful."
Brittani has not been publicly identified, as Aaron has sought to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, though he has discussed her with media on several occasions.
The Daily Mail has sought comment from a spokesman for Jordan Rodgers.
