Aaron Rodgers’ long-standing feud with his family took an unexpected turn last fall when his parents attended his debut game with the New York Jets against the Buffalo Bills, despite their ongoing estrangement. The surprising revelation comes from Ian O’Connor’s new biography of Rodgers, titled Out of the Darkness, which sheds light on the fractured relationship between the star quarterback and his parents, Ed and Darla Rodgers.
According to O’Connor, Rodgers and his parents have had “virtually no communication” since 2014, a rift that has persisted through the years. However, Ed and Darla set aside their differences last September to support their son during his highly anticipated first game with the Jets. Despite the strained relationship, they discreetly attended the game, purchasing their tickets through the Jets and sitting quietly near the 25-yard line among unsuspecting fans. Rodgers was reportedly aware of his parents’ presence in the stadium, even though the game ended in heartbreak for him, as he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury just minutes into the game.
O’Connor shared a photo of Ed and Darla proudly wearing Jets gear before the game, engrossed in the action despite their son’s brief appearance on the field. The fact that they showed up, despite the ongoing family tensions, added another layer of complexity to the public’s understanding of Rodgers’ personal life.
The origins of Rodgers’ rift with his family are detailed in O’Connor’s book, with some sources suggesting it began during his relationship with actress Olivia Munn. O’Connor reveals that tensions escalated in 2014 when Munn left a voicemail for Ed and Darla, following what had seemed to be a cordial meeting with them before a game. In the voicemail, Munn allegedly expressed that she did not want Rodgers’ parents attending a game in Tampa Bay, which they had planned to go to. This led to a confrontation where Ed and Darla asserted that they didn’t need Munn’s permission to attend their son’s games. Rodgers, in turn, sent an emotional email defending Munn, further straining his relationship with his parents.
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The book also claims that Munn rejected holiday gifts from Rodgers’ parents and that Darla, who is deeply religious, was troubled by Munn and Rodgers living together before marriage. Munn’s public comments about her and Rodgers’ sex life reportedly further angered Darla, exacerbating the family feud.
Rodgers, however, has refuted the notion that Munn was the catalyst for the estrangement, telling O’Connor that the issues with his parents predated his relationship with her. “She has nothing to do with all the years before,” Rodgers insisted, pushing back against the narrative that Munn was the root cause of the family discord.
Despite these revelations, Rodgers has downplayed certain aspects of the book, suggesting that some stories may have been “exaggerated over time.” In a radio interview with WFAN hosts Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti, Rodgers expressed skepticism about the accuracy of some accounts in O’Connor’s book, stating, “There are some interesting stories I’m sure that will come out of it, and ones that are not based on a lot of fact, to be honest.”
Further complicating the narrative, Rodgers’ former junior college football coach, George Rigsbee, offered his perspective on the quarterback’s family dynamics, implying that some people in Rodgers’ life were taking advantage of his success. Without naming anyone specifically, Rigsbee criticized those who he believed were “mooching” off Rodgers, suggesting that this could be a source of his frustrations.
Rigsbee recounted an incident in 2016, during a celebrity golf tournament near Lake Tahoe, where a fan mistakenly referenced Rodgers as “Jordan Rodgers’s brother.” The comment visibly angered Aaron, highlighting the tension between him and his younger brother, Jordan Rodgers, who gained fame as a contestant on ABC’s The Bachelorette.
According to Rigsbee, this was emblematic of the broader issues Rodgers faced with those close to him who failed to recognize the boundaries of their relationship with the star athlete.
In O’Connor’s account, Rigsbee paints a picture of Rodgers as someone who has grown weary of being taken advantage of by those around him, leading to his strained family relationships. “People try to take advantage of you, and pretty soon they do other s***, and then you get pissed off, and it’s a tough thing,” Rigsbee explained. “Then they talk bad about you like, ‘Oh, he’s stuck up,’ or, ‘Oh, he abandoned me.’ No, he’s f***n’ tired of taking care of your ass.”
As these layers of Aaron Rodgers’ personal life continue to unfold, it becomes clear that his family dynamics are far more complex than previously understood.
While his relationship with his parents remains fractured, their attendance at his Jets debut suggests that there may still be a connection, however tenuous, between the quarterback and his family.
