As Aaron Rodgers has become a future Hall of Famer winning four MVP awards and earning 10 Pro Bowl selections, his career has also been overshadowed by drama in several areas.
Here are some of those controversies as Rodgers decides the next phase of his NFL career:
The vaccine controversy
When reporters asked about his COVID-19 vaccination status in August 2021, Rodgers responded by saying he was “immunized.”
But when Rodgers tested positive three months later, it became clear he hadn’t been vaccinated — and, as he later admitted, misled reporters.
Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he was undergoing alternative treatment because the quarterback was allergic to an ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and he didn’t want to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of reported side effects.
Back and forth about the future
For the past two seasons, there has been speculation about Rodgers’ next move.
He ended his press conference following the Packers’ January 2021 season loss by saying “there’s a lot of unknowns going into the offseason.”
A similar feeling followed the next year when the Packers suffered a stunning loss to the 49ers in the NFC divisional round.
That off-season, Rodgers signed a three-year extension, but that didn’t stop the uncertainty.
As Green Bay’s 2022 campaign ended without a postseason berth, both Rodgers and the Packers front office reiterated the quarterback’s need for time and space to make a final decision.
Widely published relationships
From Danica Patrick and Olivia Munn to Shailene Woodley and Blu, Rodgers has been involved in his share of high-profile relationships that didn’t seem to end well.
Blu generated headlines by refuting the fact that her name is “Blu of Earth” – adding that she is not a witch.
Woodley said in an interview that her “personal life has been s-ty” following her divorce from Rodgers, after the couple became engaged.
Mallory Edens, the daughter of Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens, was also linked to Rodgers in January.
Split from family
While Rodgers hasn’t said much on the subject, others in his life, including Munn, have weighed in on how fame has caused separation from — or strained relationships with — his family.
His father, Ed, told the New York Times in 2017 that “fame can change things,” while reportedly corroborating a Bleacher Report story from last year that said Rodgers cut off certain members of his family.
But Rodgers said in an August 2022 podcast appearance that he “believes in healing and I believe in the possibility of atonement at some point.”
Ayahuasca Use
Rodgers said in August 2022 that using psychedelic drugs helped lead to the “best season” of his NFL career and helped the quarterback “love myself unconditionally”.
And last month, in an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” he said he will likely review the off-season use of ayahuasca, a psychoactive tea containing DMT, a hallucinogenic drug.
