The enigmatic rift between NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his family is a central theme in a new biography. While Rodgers’ parents blame his ex-girlfriend Olivia Munn for the friction, other factors may have contributed to the estrangement that reportedly began in 2014.
Rodgers’ former junior college football coach, Craig Rigsbee, points to perceived freeloaders in the quarterback’s life, saying, “They just can’t be hanging on your coattails their whole lives.” Rigsbee also shares a revealing story about Rodgers’ frustration over his younger brother Jordan’s role on ABC’s The Bachelorette.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on during training camp during a training camp practice
Jordan Rodgers (right) married JoJo Fletcher (left) as part of ABC’s The Bachelorette
In 2016, Rodgers was participating in a celebrity golf tournament near Lake Tahoe when someone in the crowd mentioned his brother Jordan, a former CFL quarterback-turned reality TV star. Rodgers’ reaction was telling, according to Rigsbee: “He looked over there and he was legitimately pissed off and shook his head.”
Rigsbee suggests that some people in Rodgers’ orbit didn’t know how far they were pushing him, saying, “People try to take advantage of you, and pretty soon they do other stuff, and then you get pissed off, and it’s a tough thing.”
Rodgers’ brothers, Jordan and Luke, are also implicated in the rift. Rigsbee recalls getting on their case when they were badmouthing Aaron in public, saying, “I said, ‘That’s enough of that stuff. Do not say that stuff in public, and don’t talk about it now.'”
Despite the tensions, Rodgers and his younger brother did begin speaking again, according to a source. However, there was still a “division” between them as of 2022.
Rodgers’ father, Ed, has also reconnected with his son. The two first reconnected at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in 2017, where Rodgers found his father in the crowd while searching for a bathroom. Despite their differences, Aaron decided against snubbing his father, saying, “I could do a lot of things, but I just thought, ‘What’s best in this moment, and what kind of gift could I give him?’ Because I do love him.”
Olivia Munn and Aaron Rodgers arrive at the 88th Annual Academy Awards
The book reveals that Rodgers’ family issues predated his relationship with Munn, which began in 2014. Rodgers himself denies that Munn caused any problems between him and his parents, saying, “She has nothing to do with all the years before.”
