Aaron Rodgers has offered a rare public look at his renewed contact with members of his family after years of widely reported estrangement.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback shared five Instagram photographs featuring his parents, Ed and Darla Rodgers, his older brother Luke and younger relatives. “Another bonding week,” he captioned the July 20 gallery, adding the hashtag “#fam.”
Rodgers’ younger brother Jordan did not appear in the gallery. However, both Jordan and his wife, former Bachelorette star JoJo Fletcher, liked the post, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Rodgers Posed With Both of His Parents
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The first two photographs showed Rodgers posing separately with his mother and father. He wrapped an arm around Darla in one image and stood beside Ed in another as both looked toward the camera.
Later slides showed Rodgers relaxing indoors with Luke, who hosts the Blurry Creatures podcast. The brothers also appeared to work together on a child’s toy before Rodgers posed with younger members of the family.
Jordan Rodgers Was Missing but Liked the Post
Jordan’s absence left the status of the brothers’ relationship uncertain. Neither Aaron nor Jordan publicly stated that they had met during the family gathering. Jordan and Fletcher nevertheless liked the Instagram post.
Aaron said in the 2024 Netflix series Aaron Rodgers: Enigma that he and Jordan had once been close. He described their eventual distance as part of a larger family conflict involving events stretching back to their youth, differing beliefs and the way their private problems became public.
The Estrangement Became Public on The Bachelorette
The family rift received national attention in 2016 when Jordan competed on Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette. During the show, he told Fletcher that Aaron was distant from the rest of the family.
A hometown episode showed two empty chairs at the Rodgers family dinner table, representing Aaron and his girlfriend at the time, Olivia Munn. Jordan said it was painful not to have a relationship with his brother.
Aaron later criticized the decision to discuss the estrangement on television. In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, he said he had not been invited to the filmed dinner, which took place during the NFL season, although he acknowledged that he would not have attended.
Rodgers Previously Said He Was Open to Reconciliation
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Rodgers discussed religious differences, fame and his relationships with his parents and brothers throughout the Netflix documentary. His relatives did not participate in the series. He said he had no desire to see his family experience hardship and remained open to eventually repairing their relationships.
“People ask me, like, is there hope for a reconciliation? I say, ‘Yeah, of course, of course,’” Rodgers said. “I don’t wish any ill will on them at all. We’re just on different steps of the timeline of our own journeys.”
The reunion photographs arrived as Rodgers prepared for his 22nd and final NFL season. Asked in May whether he would retire after the Steelers’ 2026 campaign, the 42-year-old quarterback answered, “Yes. This is it.”