Aaron Rodgers Reveals He’s Reconciled with Brother Jordan Rodgers After Years of Estrangement

Aaron Rodgers is opening up about his recent family reunion following a years-long estrangement.

Appearing on the Not Just Football podcast with Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Cam Heyward on Thursday, Sept. 10, the 42-year-old quarterback spoke about reconnecting with his parents and siblings, a moment he chronicled on Instagram earlier this summer. Rodgers also revealed that he's reconciled with his younger brother Jordan Rodgers , who was not in the photos.

"There's been a few things that have happened the last couple of years, which has made the idea of reconciling with my parents first an opportunity," Aaron said in the Thursday, Sept. 10 episode, noting how his parents, Ed and Darla Rodgers, planned to relocate to Nashville from Chico, Calif., where the quarterback was raised.

"... The last day they were in Chico, was the day I met them there at their house, the house I bought them and built for them. And so, full circle. A couple weeks after that, went out to Nashville, met up with my older brother [Luke Rodgers], and a couple weeks after that, met up with my little brother [Jordan Rodgers]," the future Hall of Famer continued. "It was cool. There were tough conversations for sure, but I'm just in a much better headspace."

Rodgers stunned fans in July when he posted a collection of heartfelt images featuring his parents and older brother Luke. "Another bonding week," the future Hall of Famer captioned the post .

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback had long been estranged from his family, with the feud coming into public view in 2016 when Jordan appeared on JoJo Fletcher 's season of The Bachelorette . Jordan claimed on the show that he and Aaron "don't really have that much of a relationship."

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"Nobody knew anything that was going on with it," Aaron said on Thursday's podcast episode. "I decided I didn't want to play this out in the media because I didn't think that was right. Now, other members of my family would say things, whether the intent was to harm, a couple times it was by a few of them, a couple times they really didn't know what was going on. They didn't know what it would be like to have a son who was super-famous. I didn't know what it would be like after the Super Bowl, to be super-famous in the way that I was, and how that changes relationships and the relationships dissolved. Now, full circle, they're back together. It's amazing. It's been great to have all those people, my little brother, my older brother and his family, my parents, that's been really, really special."

Aaron credited his wife , Brittani, for helping mend the fences.

"My wife deserves a lot of the credit for that just to be able to get to that point to think about having the conversations, she was a big part of that," he said Thursday. "And not that she was pushing anything, she wasn't, it was more, and you guys can probably relate to this, when you're loved by someone in such an unconditional, beautiful, pure way, it changes your perspective on all of your relationships around that. That becomes your anchor point. Well, if I can be made to feel like this by this person, I feel like it opens up your heart in an even deeper way that I never experienced before. A year ago, even two years ago, five years ago for sure, I would have said, 'Nah, I'm never going to reconcile.'"

Aaron, who is suiting up for what is expected to be his final NFL season, said his dad previously "came up to" a Steelers game. "Hopefully, we'll get them all out," he said Thursday. "Was just talking with my brother, my little brother's birthday was yesterday and he was just in Ireland calling a game."

Before posting the photos on Instagram, Aaron publicly reunited with his family in April. In a photo obtained by PEOPLE, Aaron sat with his parents at the Pleasant Valley High School banquet dinner in Chico, Calif., as he celebrated his induction into his high school's athletics hall of fame.

A four-time league MVP, Aaron is playing in his 22nd NFL season and his second with the Steelers. He spent the first 18 years of his career in Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl in February 2010. Aaron was then traded to the Jets in 2023 and spent two years in New York.

The Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts in their season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13.