Getty Images; Luke Rodgers/Instagram
Who Are Aaron Rodgers’ Parents, Darla and Ed? Meet the NFL Star’s Mom and Dad Amid Their Estrangement
In his new Netflix documentary, Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, Aaron Rodgers opened up about his strained relationship with his parents, Edward and Darla Rodgers. While he credited his mom and dad with teaching him how to “adapt” and toughen up in the face of adversity, he also got candid about what led to his estrangement from multiple family members, including his parents.
Who Is Aaron Rodgers’ Mom, Darla Rodgers?
Aaron’s mom was born in 1958 in Mendocino County, California. She married Ed in April 1980, and the couple welcomed sons Luke, Aaron and Jordan. Darla once worked as a part-time reporter at the Chico Enterprise-Record newspaper, according to Sportskeeda.
Who Is Aaron Rodgers’ Dad, Ed Rodgers?
Aaron’s dad was born in 1955 in Brazos County, Texas. Though he works as a chiropractor today, Ed is also a former offensive lineman for the Chico State Wildcats and taught football to Aaron and his brothers when they were kids.
Aaron reunited with his dad in 2023 ahead of his first season with the Jets, as former New York Post columnist Ian O’Connor revealed in the biography Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers. At the time of their reunion at the American Century Championship golf tournament at Lake Tahoe, the quarterback had not seen his dad in years.
“I could do a lot of things,” Aaron recalled in the August 2024 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.”
Soon, Aaron and Ed came face-to-face. “It had been so long since we even looked at each other,” Ed said. “I just kind of froze.”
Aaron then broke their silence by simply saying, “Hi, Pops,” and the two hugged and exchanged “I love yous.”
“I think that was what needed to happen,” Aaron recalled telling his caddie and friend Jordan Russell. He told Ian, “That was a special moment.”
Why Is Aaron Rodgers Estranged From His Parents?
Ed confirmed to The New York Times in 2017 that Aaron hadn’t spoken to his family since 2014. At the time, the NFL star was a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, and his dad noted in his interview that “fame can change things.”
Aaron further alluded to fame being a reason for his estrangement from his family in his docuseries. “There was a lot of times when I became real famous, I heard from a lot of people, including family members, who was like, ‘Your life is too big. We need you to be smaller. Be smaller,’” he said in the doc. “Like, ‘Don’t talk about your life.’ And it’s always hurt me because I just feel like you don’t see me. This is not something I ever desired or wanted, other than playing on Sundays.”
The footballer has also hinted that differences in religious views have contributed to the rift between him and his parents. In the documentary, he said, “I grew up in a very white, dogmatic church.” Noting that this “didn’t really serve” him, Aaron added, “It was very rigid in structure. I’m not a rigid person. … Even talking to my parents it was very black and white. Like, somebody has to be wrong. Somebody has to be right. I just slowly uncoupled from that in high school.”
Aaron said he “began to question more things” when he went on to attend the University of California, Berkeley. “That definitely changed the dynamics of my family. Because I was just questioning all of it,” he concluded.
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