Aaron Rodgers says his decision to join the Pittsburgh Steelers was inspired by a new family member.
“I was taking orders from my (new) sister-in-law, Mia,” the NFL star, 41, told The New York Times. “She’s 20 and she’s the brains of the family; you just have to ask her.”
Laughing, he added, “No — but that is partially serious for sure.”
Rodgers surprised fans in June when he confirmed during a Steelers press conference that he tied the knot during the off-season.
Rodgers was speaking to reporters after his first practice with the team when a journalist noted that he’d been wearing what looked to be a wedding ring.
“A lot’s been made about the ring on your left ring finger. Is that a normal ring or anything else, like a wedding ring?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s a wedding ring,” the quarterback replied, smiling.
After another journalist asked how long ago the wedding took place, Rodgers responded, “It’s been a couple of months.”
Rodgers previously revealed on the April 17 episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” that he was seeing someone special.
“I’m in a different phase of my life. You know, I’m 41 years old. I’m in a serious relationship. I have off-the-field stuff going on that requires my attention. I have personal commitments that I’ve made not knowing what my future was going to look like last year that are important to me,” he said at the time.
He followed up in July by praising his “incredible wife” during an interview with sports personality Kyle Brandt.
After Brandt asked Rodgers how being married might affect him as a player, Rodgers responded, “How much time do you have? When you meet the right one and you’re with the right one, your whole world changes in a second.”
“To have that person that unconditionally loves you behind the scenes, there’s no better feeling in the world,” he continued. “I got the most incredible wife. I just really love her and I’m so thankful to have her by my side at the end. When you have that stability and that rock behind you at the house, you feel like you can do anything.”
Earlier this year, Rodgers was informed that he would not be returning as the quarterback for the New York Jets.
The Jets’ new head coach, Aaron Glenn, and new general manager, Darren Mougey, revealed in a joint statement that their intention for the Jets was to “move in a different direction at quarterback.”
The Jets acquired Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers in 2023.
Though Rodgers was an MVP-caliber quarterback for the Packers, his brief stint with the Jets was marked by unimpressive stats on the field and drama off of it.
In 2023, Rodgers tore his Achilles during his first game as the Jets QB and ended up sitting out the rest of the season.
The following year, he was fined for an “unexcused absence” after he skipped a mandatory practice to instead travel to Egypt for a planned trip.
