The story behind Aaron Rodgers’ path from beloved NFL star to most controversial player
Not long ago that Aaron Rodgers is one of the NFL’s most beloved stars.
One of the most talented quarterbacks to ever play the game, Rodgers has achieved another level of fame off the field. He is a popular spokesperson for State Farm and an acclaimed guest host of Danger!, performed so well in the latter role that he was seen as a potential successor to the late Alex Trebek. Politically, Rodgers was seen as a thoughtful progressive. He called out NFL for blackballing Colin Kaepernick and expressed support for players who kneel during the national anthem, even if he did not do so himself.
But as he enters his 20th season in the NFL, now playing for the Jets, Rodgers offers a different description. He is, like, Ian O’Connor “The most fascinating and controversial figure in professional football, without doubt,” writes Rodgers in a new biography, a distinction the author says he has held “for many years.”
Yes, at least for the past three years or so. In Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers, O’Connor focuses on August 26, 2021, when Rodgers’ transformation began. That’s when, after being asked by a reporter if he had been vaccinated against COVID-19, Rodgers said he was “immune.” O’Connor notes that this response “ultimately changed the way countless people perceived him.” Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 less than three months later, making his earlier comments seem a bit misleading. But the backlash that followed didn’t deter him. In the years since, Rodgers has speak skeptically (as well as free) COVID vaccines and also sells a variety of plot Theories. By the end of the 2022 season, State Farm quietly is over A 12-year partnership with Rodgers completed his transformation from commercial star to public critic.
A biographer of sports icons including Bill Belichick, Mike Krzyzewski, And Derek Jeter, O’Connor uses her new book to chart Rodgers’s rise in the court of public opinion, as well as his tumultuous family history. Rodgers cut ties with his parents, brothers, and other family members about a decade ago, leaving them all confused by the estrangement. O’Connor wades through various theories about the breakup: Rodgers’ parents blamed his ex-girlfriend Olivia Munn; Others have attributed this estrangement to the family’s devout Christian faith; and some have pointed out that his brothers took advantage of his popularity. Out of the darkness can shed only partial light on the Rodgers family tragedy, despite the author’s rich narrative. O’Connor conducted 250 interviews for the book, including extensive conversations with Rodgers’ parents, Editing And Darla, and some one-on-one time with Rodgers. As a result, O’Connor was able to uncover new insights, such as Rodgers admits he should have told the truth about his vaccination status and details about a emotional meeting between father and son at a celebrity golf tournament last summer, which has raised new hopes of a reconciliation.
I talked to O’Connor about all of that over the phone last week. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Vanity Fair: This is an unauthorized biography, but you did manage to sit down with Rodgers at his Malibu home earlier this year, which you detail in the book’s introduction. What was that conversation like, and was it difficult to get him to agree to talk to you?
