For the first time in a long while, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is spending quality time with his family. He shared pictures of himself with his family, which opened to a deeply negative reception and prompted an analyst to speak up. 

“Say what you will about Aaron Rodgers… we’ve all taken our shots, over the years… but look at the way his Mom is squeezing him tight… you gotta be heartless not to enjoy this reconciliation… happy for all of them,” NFL insider John Frascella wrote as a reply on X on July 21.

He made his statement after another analyst, Brooke Pryor, shared Rodgers’ Instagram post on X. She highlighted that the player has had a strained history with his family for years. 

“Aaron Rodgers’ summer of bonding continues,” she wrote on July 21 on X. “He’s been estranged from his parents and close family for more than a decade, but just he posted a series of photos on Instagram with his family, captioned, “another bonding week #fam.””

Rodgers posed with his mother, Darla; father, Ed; and brother Luke. His other brother, Jordan, was notably missing. However, he and his wife JoJo Fletcher liked his post. This move appears to have smoothed out years of bitterness between Rodgers and his family. 

But when did it all start?

There are more than one reason for Aaron Rodgers’ estrangement from his family. The 42-year-old quarterback, who is entering his 22nd season. However, when he emerged as a star in the NFL, their personal lives started becoming public. 

“Several reports over the years suggested discomfort on Rodgers’ side about how private matters were being discussed publicly, especially once his brother entered the spotlight,” Jennifer Bubel of AS wrote on July 21. 

In 2016, his brother, Jordan, revealed what his relationship with Aaron is like. He also addressed the pressure of being an NFL quarterback Aaron has been under. 

“Me and Aaron don't really have that much of a relationship. It's just kind of the way he's chosen to do life,” he revealed on The Bachelorette. “I chose to stay close with my family and my parents and my brother. That's just it's not ideal, and I love him, and I can't imagine what it's like to be in his shoes and have the pressure he has and the demands from people that he has. 

Years later, in 2024, Rodgers himself would explain the rift's origins. Aaron then shared that he started distancing himself from his family as early as high school, per the AS report. Things, however, appear to have started changing for the better. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar