'HE MARCHES TO HIS OWN DRUM'

Aaron Rodgers has become as famous for his polarizing opinions and alternative wellness practices as he is for his football legacy. Weeks after he revealed he'd secretly tied the knot, those closest to the NFL star shed light on the man behind the headlines

- JAIME HARKIN

As a star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers has won one Super Bowl and four MVP titles, and there's little doubt he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In early June, after 20 seasons in the NFL — and a potentially career-ending 2023 Achilles tear — the 41-year-old signed a one-year $13.6 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, making him the longest-running active QB in the league.

Off the field, his success has been a bit trickier to track. He crossed over into the celebrity sphere in the early 2010s thanks to high-profile romances with Jessica Szohr, Olivia Munn, Danica Patrick and Shailene Woodley, as well as his popular State Farm commercials and 2015 Celebrity Jeopardy! win. (He later guest-hosted and even considered replacing the late Alex Trebek at the helm of the hit game show). His estrangement from his family made headlines the following year when his younger brother, Jordan, won season 12 of The Bachelorette and revealed they weren't on speaking terms.

In 2021, he alienated some fans and sparked a media firestorm after he confirmed he wasn't vaccinated against Covid-19. Soon, he was openly discussing conspiracy theories about Big Pharma and the Kennedy assassination on podcasts. In 2022, he talked about taking the psychedelic plant ayahuasca, calling it a “mind-expanding” experience.

Despite the polarizing effect of his musings, he’s become increasingly more vocal, a transformation he talked about in 2024's three-part Netflix docuseries Aaron Rodgers: Enigma. “As I got to love myself better and get comfortable in my own skin, I felt way more comfortable sharing some of the stuff from behind the curtain,” he said, adding, “I like being able to have a voice [and] I like being able to open it up more and talk about non-football stuff.”