Aaron Rodgers has spent nearly a decade with minimal contact with his immediate family, including his parents, Ed and Darla, and his two brothers, Jordan and Luke.
However, this changed slightly last year.
Days before reporting to his first Jets training camp, Rodgers shared an emotional moment with his father at the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe according to the NY Post.
This encounter might have been the first step toward reconciliation, according to Ian O’Connor’s biography, “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers,” set to be released on August 20.
Ed Rodgers, a chiropractor and former college football offensive lineman, taught Aaron and his brothers how to play football. He managed to secure a tournament ticket from a patient, hoping for a chance to interact with his son, whom he had not seen or spoken to since late in the Green Bay Packers’ 2014 season.
During his Saturday round, Aaron Rodgers spotted his father in the crowd while heading for a bathroom break. Initially considering avoiding his father by skipping the bathroom or pretending to be on the phone, Aaron decided against it.
“I could do a lot of things,” the quarterback recalled in the book. “But I just thought, ‘What’s best in this moment, and what kind of gift could I give him?’ Because I do love him. I don’t have animosity toward him, even with all the stuff that’s been said and done.”
Ed Rodgers, having lost sight of Aaron temporarily, turned around to find his son standing less than 20 feet away. They were suddenly alone in a clearing.
“It had been so long since we even looked at each other,” Ed Rodgers said. “I just kind of froze.”
Aaron broke the ice, saying, “Hi Pops,” and walked toward his dad. The two men embraced.
“I love you,” Aaron said.
“I love you too,” his father replied.
Tears flowed down Ed Rodgers’ face as his son returned to the course to complete his round in the celebrity tournament. Ed had dreamed of this embrace for years.
“It was amazing,” Ed said in the book.
After finishing his round, Aaron told his caddie and longtime friend, Jordan Russell, “I think that was what needed to happen.”
“That was a special moment,” Aaron later told O’Connor.
Ed and Darla Rodgers attended Aaron’s Jets debut against Buffalo on the anniversary of 9/11 last year, with Aaron’s knowledge.
This marked a significant step, as Ed and Darla had continued attending occasional Packers games even after Aaron stopped communicating with them, a decision his parents believed was influenced by his then-girlfriend, actress Olivia Munn. Both Aaron and Munn denied this claim.
During the Jets game, Ed and Darla sat anonymously among fans near the 25-yard line. They witnessed the shocking moment when Aaron suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on the Jets’ fourth offensive snap.
“It was shocking, honestly, so bizarre,” Ed Rodgers said. “It took the wind out of the whole stadium. The people around us didn’t know who we were, but nobody said anything negative like, ‘This is what happens with an older quarterback.’ It was, ‘Oh no. Oh no. Tell me it’s not true.’ … It literally happened right across from us.”
This poignant interaction between Aaron and his father at the golf tournament and their attendance at his game signifies a potential thawing in their long-standing family feud, offering a glimpse of hope for future reconciliation.
