It's been an offseason of reunions for Aaron Rodgers, and his latest one came over the weekend when he reunited with his family.
The 42-year-old had been estranged from his family for more than a decade, but the ice started to thaw over the past few years, and it appears the relationship is now on the mend. The Steelers quarterback posted multiple photos of his family on social media Monday night. Rodgers has been on Instagram since 2017, and this is the first time he's shared a photo of anyone in his family.
Rodgers shared a total of five pictures on Instagram: One was with his mom (Darla), one was with his dad (Ed), one was with his brother (Luke), another showed Rodgers and his brother putting a toy together, and the final one showed Rodgers hanging out with his niece.
Things you love to see:#Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, who has remained distanced from his immediate family over the years, posted pictures on Instagram with his mom, dad, brother and more. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Z7ZfuRlrCU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 21, 2026
Rodgers added the caption, "Another bonding week."
It seems pretty clear that he wants his family involved in his life as he heads into what will almost certainly be his final NFL season.
In June, he made it clear the 2026 season would be his last dance.
"This is it," Rodgers said.
Rodgers will report to Steelers training camp on July 28 for the start of his 22nd NFL season.
How the family feud started
It's not exactly clear what caused the feud between Rodgers and his family in 2014, but the conflict went public in 2016 after his brother, Jordan, appeared as a contestant on "The Bachelorette."
During one episode, Jordan brought the Bachelorette (JoJo Fletcher) home to meet his family, and the group ate dinner together. However, Rodgers wasn't there, and the family left two empty seats at the table to signify his absence (the other seat was for Olivia Munn, who was dating Rodgers at the time).
Rodgers kept quiet about the situation for more than eight years, but he finally gave his opinion on "The Bachelorette" episode in his 2024 Netflix documentary.
"I was quiet about it, because I thought the best way to do it was [to] not talk about it publicly," Rodgers said of the feud. "And what do they do? They go on a bullshit show and leave two empty chairs? They all agreed this was a good thing to do?"
Jordan and JoJo ended up getting married in 2022, but Aaron wasn't at the wedding. It's also worth noting that Jordan wasn't included in the photos released Monday night.
Another issue that seemed to divide the family was religion.
"I grew up in a very white, dogmatic church, and that just didn't really serve me. It was very rigid in structure. I'm not a rigid person. Shame, guilt, judgment," Rodgers said in the documentary. "It was like we have the truth, our way or the highway. Our way is heaven, your way is hell. Even talking to my parents, it was very black and white. Somebody has to be wrong, somebody has to be right. I kind of de-coupled from that in high school."
Rodgers has also dabbled in ayahuasca, something that didn't sit well with others in his life.
"When I started looking into other religions and plant medicine, I also found a lot of resistance," Rodgers said in the documentary. "Doing things, compared to what I grew up in, would be considered an alternative lifestyle."
At one point in the 2024 documentary, Rodgers admitted a reunion with his family was possible, and now, two years later, that's finally happened.
How Rodgers started reconnecting with his family
Although Rodgers went almost a decade without speaking to his family starting in late 2014, the relationship with his family started to thaw after he was traded to the Jets in 2023. In a book by Ian O'Connor released in 2024, Rodgers revealed that his dad decided to make the trip to Lake Tahoe in July 2023 to watch his son play in the American Century Championship golf tournament. Rodgers didn't know his dad was going to be there, but once he spotted him, he decided it was finally time to break the ice, and the two ended up spending some time together.
After that, things seemed to slowly improve. Both of Rodgers' parents were in attendance for his first game with the Jets, a painful one for the family during which Rodgers tore his Achilles in the first quarter.
It's not clear how much communication Rodgers has had with his family since then, but it looks like he's ready to include them in his life now. The next step for Rodgers could be introducing his family to his new wife. The Steelers quarterback secretly got married in a ceremony that took place at some point last year.
When Rodgers arrives at training camp next week, he'll also be in for another reunion. The four-time MVP will be playing under new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who also served as his head coach for 13 seasons in Green Bay.
