Aaron Rodgers confirms he got married in Steelers press conference
New Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirmed he ring on his left hand is a wedding ring during his first press conference with the Steelers.
Aaron Rodgers has gone off the grid before.
He says he’s ready to do it again — forever.
And that’s something he has in common with his new wife.
Rodgers, however, isn’t going anywhere, for at least one more year. He’s very much keeping himself in the public for another NFL season after he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month. And he goes on talk shows and podcasts and has documentaries made about him that also keeps him in the spotlight beyond the football field. But one more year, he says, is all it will be.
“When this is all done, I’m out; you won’t see me,” Rodgers claimed on the June 24 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Steelers for a reason.
“I’m pretty sure this is it,” Rodgers said. “That’s why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on it.”
While Rodgers will be in the public space all season, one person who won’t be is his new wife. And don’t expect Rodgers to post any wedding photos of his mystery wife on social media. In fact, he blasted the media and the “sick society” who wants to get a glimpse of her.
Here are a few takeaways from Rodgers on McAfee’s show.
Who is Aaron Rodgers married to?
Rodgers spent a significant amount of his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” discussing how his mystery wife wants to remain private. And so does he.
The four-time MVP confirmed two weeks ago that he’s been married for a couple of months.
Little is known about her, however, which is a stark contrast to his former relationships. Rodgers previously said on McAfee’s show that the woman whom he was in a relationship with doesn’t have social media and that her name was Brittani.
There has been a lot of interest in her identity. And Rodgers has had enough.
“Now I’m with somebody who’s private, who doesn’t want to be in the public eye, didn’t sign up to be a celebrity, doesn’t want to be part of it,” Rodgers said June 24. “And because I do things in private because I want my personal life to be private and now I’m somehow weird and now the paparazzi is stalking me on the beach trying to get a picture of her, stalking me in the workout. What is the entitlement to information that where we’re living in society these days?”
Aaron Rodgers’ marriage
Ever since Rodgers walked the red carpet at a Kentucky Derby event in early May wearing what appeared to a wedding band questions swirled over his marriage status.
Rodgers then confirmed to Pittsburgh reporters during his first mandatory minicamp June 12 that he was married.
His close friends and family, whom he doesn’t have a relationship with, did not know about his wedding.
Rodgers said paparazzi have been trying to get photos of his new home in Pittsburgh and are “stalking” him on the beach in an attempt to get a photo of his wife.
“It’s a sick society, isn’t it,” Rodgers said. “It’s a sick society. I lived in the public eye for 20 years and I had public relationships. How did that work out?”
Rodgers’ previous girlfriends or significant others were all celebrities and he often was in the public eye with them on red carpets or other major events.
“What happened to common decency about security and a personal life where we have to dive into details of where you live, and what you’re doing and who you’re with and who your wife is and if you even have a wife and if you’re doing some attention-grabbing thing because my wife is a private person, doesn’t have social media, hasn’t been a public person, doesn’t want to be a public person, but now that’s somehow a weird thing,” Rodgers questioned.
Aaron Rodgers’ wife, Brittani
Rodgers first brought up that he was in a relationship during McAfee’s show in December and revealed the woman’s name as “Brittani.”
No photos have ever been seen of the two and that’s not going to change. He questioned why it has become the norm in society for people to feel entitled to people’s personal lives like his.
“Just because I’m not selling wedding photos to the magazines or leaking personal information or making a loving post on Instagram, and look, (if) you want to do that, that’s fine, that’s your prerogative, I don’t care. That’s just not what I want to do,” Rodgers said.
“And I’m with somebody who wants to be private. If and when she wants to be out and there’s a picture, she’ll choose that. And she deserves the right to that.”
Rodgers also wants to live a private life.
“When this is all done, I’m out; you won’t see me,” Rodgers claimed. “I know that I’ve chosen to be in the public eye for one more season, but my private life is staying private.”
And don’t expect to get any updates from Rodgers’ brothers or parents.
“Any other ridiculous story about my family that I don’t talk to, they wouldn’t know any information about me,” Rodgers said. “Like leave them alone.
Aaron Rodgers’ contract
Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Steelers.
His average salary is $13.65 million with a $10 million signing bonus, according to Spotrac.
There are also incentives, including $500,000 for a playoff berth, $600,000 with a wild card win or first-round bye, $750,000 for a divisional round win, $1 million for a conference championship, $1.5 million for a Super Bowl championship and $1.5 million if he wins the league MVP.
After two disappointing seasons with the New York Jets, Rodgers says he didn’t need to come back to prove any doubters.
“It’s I love the game,” Rodgers said. “There’s been a beautiful relationship. It’s my first love, when I was 6 years old and dreaming about playing quarterback and being in the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl.”
Rodgers said it took time for him to decide if he wanted to play another season because he “had so many other things going on in my life were taking my mind and energy elsewhere.”
“I didn’t need this,” he said. “I didn’t need it (at) all. I didn’t feel the need to prove anything to anybody. Don’t have any chip on my shoulder. I don’t want the attention. When this is all done, you won’t see me. I won’t be in the public. I don’t want to live a public life. That’s why it’s so strange what’s going on right now in my private life, ’cause I don’t want to live a life in the public eye. When this is done, I’m done. You won’t see me, and I’m looking forward to it. While I’m in it for this year I’m going to give the Steelers everything I got and empty the tank and be super comfortable and satisfied with whatever happens.”
Aaron Rodgers’ dog
Like Aaron Rodgers’ wife, his dog didn’t make an appearance on McAfee’s show.
But like his wife, he was a main character throughout the show. His name is Apollo for those who are interested. Rodgers said Apollo was upstairs during the interview when McAfee asked about him.
But the paparazzi apparently will get a good look at him on the beach when they’re trying to catch Rodgers’ wife.
“You want to keep stalking me on the beach and getting photos of me and Apollo, go for it,” Rodgers said. “I don’t give a (expletive)?”
Rodgers added that when he was walking on the beach in Malibu by his house with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and noticed cameras he and his coach flipped them off.
Aaron Rodgers retiring
Aaron Rodgers didn’t announce a retirement farewell tour during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
But it appears his 21st season will be his last.
“This was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had,” Rodgers said. “I played 20 freakin’ years; it’s been a long run. What better place to finish it in one of cornerstone franchises in the NFL, with Mike Tomlin and a great group of leadership and guys in a city that expects you to win.”
Aaron Rodgers on Mike Tomlin
Rodgers has a strong respect for Tomlin.
The 41-year-old quarterback said he appreciated Tomlin’s understanding and patience of him this offseason.
He noted the two had “honest conversations every single week” after he became a free agent.
That “was really meaningful to me,” Rodgers said.
Tomlin and Rodgers will look to reach the mountaintop of the NFL together for a second time in each of their careers. Tomlin last won the Super Bowl with the Steelers in 2008, while Rodgers’ first and only Super Bowl came 15 years ago with the Packers during the 2010 season by defeating the Steelers and Tomlin.
Aaron Rodgers on Pat McAfee Show Tuesday
Watch Aaron Rodgers’ appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show”: