Aaron Rodgers' Family: Inside His Ups and Downs with His Parents and Brothers

Mar. 15, 2025

Aaron Rodgers attends the grand opening of Q New York on June 13, 2023 in New York City. ; Jordan Rodgers visits SiriusXM Studios on October 28, 2019 in New York City.Photo:Ilya S. Savenok/Getty ; Santiago Felipe/Getty

Ilya S. Savenok/Getty ; Santiago Felipe/Getty

Aaron Rodgershas experienced his fair share of ups and downs — both in his professional career and in his personal relationships.

Despite contemplating retirement heading into the 2023 season, Aaronsigned with the New York Jets— and sustaineda season-ending torn Achilles injuryin the first game that left him “heartbroken.”

The football player, at age 41, made a remarkable comeback, and his journey to a full recovery is documented in Netflix’sAaron Rodgers: Enigma, which started streaming Dec. 17.

In the docuseries, Aaron also opens up about his family relationships, which have had their fair share of drama. The legendary quarterback has been estranged from his parents, Ed and Darla Rodgers, and his two brothers, Luke andJordan, for nearly a decade.

Thefamily feudfirst came to light when Aaron’s younger brother Jordan appeared onJoJo Fletcher’s season ofThe Bachelorettein 2016, revealing that Aaron had distanced himself from the family. In the Netflix docuseries, Aaron claimedhe was never invited to the hometown dinnerfeatured on the show.

A source later told PEOPLE that their feud stemmed froma lifelong sibling rivalry, which came to a head after a “blow-up” between the brothers caused their parents to get “in the middle of it.”

Most recently, Aaron addressed his “dysfunctional” family dynamics in his Netflix docuseries,adding that he’s had to “reparent” himself and “learn how to love myself better."

So where does Aaron’s relationship with his parents and brothers stand today? Here’s everything to know about the Rodgers’ family feud.

Aaron’s rift with his family first became public in 2016

Jojo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers on ‘After the Final Rose’.Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty

Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty

The tensions within the Rodgers family were first revealed in the spring of 2016 when Jordan appeared on Fletcher’s season ofThe Bachelorette.While on the reality show, Jordan confessed to Fletcher that while he was very close with his oldest brother, Luke, Aaron was estranged from the rest of the family.

“It’s just the way he’s chosen to do life,” Jordan explained on the show. “I chose to stay close with my family and my parents and my brother [Luke].”

Luke offered additional insight into the situation with Aaron during the hometown visit.

“It’s something we don’t really like to talk about a whole lot,” he told Fletcher. “It pains both of us like, not to have that relationship [with Aaron] — we miss our brother. I trust that God brings things full circle and that everything would just get back to us being a family."

He continued, “As far as those kinds of things go, I’ve always found that it’s a little inappropriate to talk publicly about some family matters, so I’m just — I’m not going to speak on those things.”

InAaron Rodgers: Enigma, the football player claimed that he was never invited to the infamous dinner and reiterated that he preferred to not talk about his family rift at the time.

“I was quiet about it because I thought the best way to do it was don’t talk about it publicly,” Aaron said. “And what did they do? They go on a bulls— show and leave two empty chairs. They all agreed, like, this was a good thing to do, to leave two empty chairs at a stupid dating show … But like, a dinner that was during the [NFL] season, that I was never asked to go to, not that I would’ve gone.”

In 2017, Ed revealed Aaron hadn’t spoken to the family in three years

Ed Rodgers, Jordan Rodgers, and Luke Rodgers.Luke Rodgers Instagram

Luke Rodgers Instagram

The patriarch of the Rodgers family, Ed, opened up toThe New York Timesin January 2017 about his strained relationship with his middle son, Aaron.

“Fame can change things,” he said in reference to Aaron, who, at the time, was the star quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.

Ed also confirmed that Aaron had not spoken to his family since the end of 2014, a few months after he began dating Munn. “It’s complicated,” Ed told the outlet about his relationship with Aaron. “We’re all hoping for the best.”

Olivia Munn encouraged Aaron to mend his relationship with his family

Aaron Rodgers and Olivia Munn attend the 4th Annual NFL Honors at Phoenix Convention Center on January 31, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona.Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

In May 2018, Munn, whodated Aaron from 2014 to 2017, spoke candidly onAndy Cohen’sSiriusXM radio show,Andy Cohen Live, about the quarterback’s relationship with his family — and the frustrations it caused while they were together.

Munn revealed to Cohen that when their relationship began in late 2014, thequarterback hadn’t spoken to his familyin months.

“I was friendly with Jordan, and I met the parents only a couple of times,” Munn told Cohen. “Before he and I started dating, he hadn’t spoken to the parents and one brother for like eight months.”

But Munn pushed Aaron to reach out to his family, she shared on the podcast.

“They had a really nice conversation, then they started coming out my first year when I was in Green Bay in 2014,” she recalled. “I just think it’s really important to try to mend things in a family, and I encouraged that.”

However, the reconciliation was only temporary, as later became evident when the family’s drama became public in 2016.

Jordan took his feud with Aaron to social media in 2018

Jordan and Luke Rodgers.Jordan Rodgers Instagram

Jordan Rodgers Instagram

The tensions between Aaron and his younger brother Jordan intensified in 2018, particularly on social media. In April 2018, Jordan posted on Instagram to acknowledge National Sibling Day — butdid not include his brother Aaron.

A source close to Aaron told PEOPLE at the time that the omission of the NFL star from the Instagram post was “probably intentional” and revealed that the brothers could be very “passive-aggressive.”

The brothers’ feud continued on social media months later whenJordan accused Aaron on X (formerly Twitter) of not reaching out to their parentsduring the2018 California wildfires.

Jordan responded to the video — and accused his brother of not reaching out to his own family as the fires began to spread.

“When your own Mom is home alone during the fires, car packed ready to evacuate, & you miss the fundamental first step of compassion; calling your parents to make sure they are safe … Everything else just feels like an act,” he wrote on X.

Aaron hinted at a reconciliation with his parents in late 2018

Ed and Darla Rodgers.Luke Rodgers Instagram

Though Aaron’s relationship with Jordan appeared as rocky as ever in 2018, the NFL star indicated in an interview that he hadspent time with his estranged parents on his birthday.

In December 2018, the then-Green Bay quarterback — who had just turned 35 — was asked in an interview how he reacted to the news that the team’s head coach, Mike McCarthy, had been fired. Aaron revealed that he had learned of the news while with his parents, Ed and Darla.

“I was at home with my folks in town for my birthday. When I found out, I was as shocked as many of you were, I’m sure," he said.

Aaron Rodgers prior to the 2023 Pro Hall of Fame Game against the Cleveland Browns at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 3, 2023 in Canton, Ohio.Nick Cammett/Getty

Nick Cammett/Getty

According toESPN, Ed and Darla are devout Christians, and the Rodgers boys grew up attending a non-denominational church. But when Aaronspoke about his Christian upbringingyears later, he shared that he struggled to connect to the religious community.

“Most people that I knew, church was just … you just had to go,” Aaron toldthen-girlfriend Danica Patrickon herPretty Intensepodcast in January 2020.

Aaron also told Patrick that he now sought out a “different type of spirituality” that is more meaningful to him than the faith he was exposed to as a child.

“I don’t know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery hell,” he said. “What type of loving, sensitive, omnipresent, omnipotent being wants to condemn his beautiful creation to a fiery hell at the end of all this?”

The NFL star later confirmed that his disagreements with his parents over religion in his docuseries, saying he “felt like the love that I was modeled growing up, it’s kind of a merit-based spirituality.”

“If you don’t believe you deserve that love, it’s hard for you to give it, and it’s sure as hell hard for you to receive it,” he said.

Jordan and Aaron began to repair their relationship in 2022

Aaron Rodgers in the first half of a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 06, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. ; Jordan Rodgers during the SEC Football Kickoff Media Days on July 18, 2022, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA.Rey Del Rio/Getty ; Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire/Getty

Rey Del Rio/Getty ; Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire/Getty

After years of silence between the younger Rodgers brothers, Jordan and Aaron took steps toward mending their relationship in early 2022.

In January 2022, a source close to the NFL star told PEOPLE that the brothers had “started talking a little bit.” But despite opening the lanes of communication, a “division” still existed between them, according to the source.

“They’re just very different people with different outlooks,” the insider told PEOPLE. “But they’re family and they know that.”

In August of that same year, Aaron opened up about the possibility of putting the years-long family feud behind him. While appearing on theAubrey Marcus Podcast, the Super Bowl MVP revealed that he held “no bitterness” in his heart toward his family — and was hopeful for the future.

“I do believe in healing and I believe in the possibility of reconciliation at some point,” Aaron said. “But, it’s a different journey for all of us, and to judge on the outside about what should be or what it should look like, or who’s wrong or who’s right, is just a game I’ve never wanted to play and still don’t want to play.”

Aaron appeared to be absent from Jordan’s 2022 wedding

Darla Rodgers, Aimee Rodgers, Jojo Fletcher, Aaron Rodgers, Luke Rodgers, and Ed Rodgers.Luke Rodgers Instagram

After Jordan and Fletcher became engaged onThe Bachelorettein 2016, Jordan shared that his brother Aaron would“absolutely” be invited to their wedding— despite initially revealing their rift on the reality show.

“There’s no scenario in which I wouldn’t want my entire family at a wedding, so absolutely, that’s something all of our family wants and hopes for at some point,” Jordan told reporters at the time.

But when Jordan and Fletcher eventually tied the knot in May 2022, there was no word of Aaron’s attendance at the California nuptials. Jordan’s oldest brother Luke, who served as best man, shared several photos from the wedding weekend on hisInstagram— including family shots where the NFL star was noticeably absent.

That was also the case whenLuke got married in April 2019. Luke, the eldest Rodgers brother, shared a family photo from his wedding on hisInstagram— featuring his parents, younger brother Jordan and Fletcher, but no Aaron.

“This year I’m overly thankful for my wonderful family … People are the currency of heaven and they are what make our lives full,” Luke wrote in the caption.

Aaron mentions “losing family” in his Netflix documentary

Aaron Rodgers.Brooke Sutton/Getty

Brooke Sutton/Getty

Netflix’s documentaryAaron Rodgers: Enigmafollows the athlete’s recovery from a devastating Achilles injury. The three-part series, which premiered in December 2024, also delves into Aaron’s personal life and how his controversial views have historically impacted his relationships.

“Losing friendships, family. It was heartbreaking,” he said.

Aaron also said that he’s had to “find a way to be my own parent” and offer himself “forgiveness for all the mistakes” that he didn’t feel like he received from his parents growing up.

“At times when you have some dysfunction or some separation in your family life, you have to kind of reparent yourself and give yourself what you didn’t get or wanted to hear more of when you were a kid, and I think for me, I just wanted to hear, ‘I’m proud of you,’ “ he said.

source: people.com