Despite the fortune and fame of playing quarterback in the NFL, a close friend recently shared how Aaron Rodgers feels about stardom. If you manage your money right, you may never need to work again. You’ll live comfortably and spend freely without second thoughts.
You’ll also have thousands of fans wearing your jersey, even in cities where you no longer play. And when you perform well, your legacy becomes permanent. Those moments live on as a tribute to your greatness. For many athletes, that’s the dream. But for others, fame has its downsides.
Aaron Rodgers’ Friends Discuss the Quarterback’s Lack of Private Life
For someone who’ll step in front of a camera and speak on just about anything, Rodgers doesn’t seem to handle attention around his personal life all that well. He wants some things kept private, but also seems fine bringing up others on his terms.
The best way to describe the push/pull regarding Rodgers’ media desires is “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” However, A.J. Hawk, former Green Bay Packers teammate and current co-host of “The Pat McAfee Show,” chimed in with what he thinks Rodgers believes.
“Aaron Rodgers is definitely highly motivated to play football this season..
He loves the game of football” ~ @OfficialAJHawk #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/zDXnaRc9W8
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 24, 2025
“If people that don’t want to be public that are in your life, then it should be on your terms if they want to be. In his brain, he still knows the situation he is in and who he is, and because of what he’s done on the football field, people will follow his private life. Although it sucks. Yeah, I get it. It does suck. I think he understands what the intrigue is about.”
Without Google, can you name Jalen Hurts’ new bride or anything significant about Lamar Jackson’s personal life? If those players aren’t famous enough, what about Peyton Manning? How long has he been married? Even though Manning and his brother, Eli, are well-known, showing up in multiple commercials and television shows, they maintain anonymity because they handle the media better, as do Jackson and Hurts.
Instead of jumping in front of any microphone and saying anything to whoever will listen, the smarter athletes will focus the spotlight on themselves, sparing their loved ones.
Rodgers made the mistake of thinking he could maintain a quiet off-screen life when he engages in media feuds or plays word games with the press. While no one who doesn’t want to be in the public eye should be, it’s on their famous significant other to keep the media at bay instead of providing endless sound bites.
By closing the door to that part of his life, Rodgers could’ve spared himself an infinite number of headaches. All attention and notoriety aren’t good.