Seems like Aaron Rodgers really is ready to tell all before he retires and disappears forever.
The 42-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is gearing up for what he says is his final season in the NFL. While he’s been notoriously outspoken during his career, Rodgers has previously said that he plans to step away from the spotlight after retirement:
“I’m hopefully gonna be supporting my pregnant wife, because we’re gonna start a family. And I am not gonna be making a lot of appearances or statements, and I’m looking forward to a life of quiet after 23 years in the pros and three in college.”
But during his final season, Rodgers isn’t holding back.
The quarterback made waves earlier this summer with an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, where he went scorched earth on Dr. Anthony Fauci and the media for their coverage of Rodgers’ opinions on COVID. And earlier today, he appeared on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward where Rodgers once again took aim at everyone from ESPN to the political left and right and his exes.
Rodgers opened up on his ill-fated relationship with former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, who he dated starting in 2018 before the couple split in July 2020. Last year, Patrick told her side of the story during an interview with Sage Steele in which she called Rodgers “emotionally abusive.”
“Because it was sudden, it felt like. It was my life. So like when you live with somebody, it’s your whole life. And because the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive, so that wore me down to nothing. …
Yeah, he leaves a trail of blood. I don’t think I’m saying too much earth-shattering stuff.”
Well Rodgers, obviously, had a different read of the situation when responding to Danica’s comments:
“I dated two women uh who nobody gives a f–k about unless they drop my name. And they like to say their version of the history of what actually happened. So I’m just this monster of a partner, and it’s just f–king horses–t.”
Rodgers says that at the time of their relationship, Danica was depressed about the end of her racing career after retiring from full-time racing following the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season:
“Number one, why you still talking about me? It’s been years. I dated Danica, and she had just retired. She was depressed and not fun to be around. But I didn’t leave her, because I was trying to be there and be a good partner. Then it was going a certain direction, obviously. There was no intimacy. It was nothing.”
He says that they knew the relationship wasn’t going well, and Danica suggested couples counseling – something Rodgers said he was willing to do:
“I’m buying a house in Malibu. And she goes, ‘Well, do you want to buy it together?’ And I said, ‘No.’ She said, ‘Well, you know what that means then?’ I said, ‘Yeah, that’s the way things are going.’ She said, ‘Well, let’s get counseling.’ So, then we got counseling.”
But despite their efforts, the COVID pandemic spelled the end of their relationship. But he denies that it was a surprise to Danica, and took issue with her comments about leaving behind a “trail of blood.”
“Then what happened? Then COVID hit and we’re stuck together.
So she tells a story that I like, you know, totally, so blindsided by getting left by you and there’s blood, that he leaves a trail of blood around. I’m like, what are you talking about? That is not what happened by any means.”
Sounds like it’s for the best that the relationship didn’t last…
