“If You Need to Move On…”: Aaron Rodgers Got Honest With Mike Tomlin During His Delay in Joining the Steelers

When you’re as famous as Aaron Rodgers, it’s next to impossible to keep a low profile. The former Green Bay Packer often embraces the spotlight and the criticism that comes with being one of the most premier players in NFL history, but when members of his inner circle were battling cancer, he wasn’t necessarily afforded the privacy that he had hoped to receive.

During a recent sit-down discussion with his newfound teammate and Pittsburgh Steeler legend, Cam Heyward, the four-time All-Pro informed Rodgers that he couldn’t help but sympathize with the fact that his privacy wasn’t respected during what was surely a trying time in his life.

“I think there’s an entitlement to that information,” Rodgers responded.

That personal turmoil also proved to be the cause of Rodgers’ delay in signing with the Steelers earlier this offseason. Although a “super honest” conversation with his new head coach, Mike Tomlin, helped to get them on the same page.

“I told every team that I talked to that I’m not making a decision right now. I’m taking care of my people… Then I can give you a decision… I told this to Mike Tomlin… ‘If you need to move on, love and respect to you… But, out of respect for this process and what my people are going through, I can’t fully commit to the team in this moment.'”

For Rodgers, this offseason was more stress-inducing than relieving, and the added scrutiny from the media, who didn’t seem to have all of the facts, certainly didn’t help. Thankfully, he did manage to find a glimmer of happiness through his newfound wife, Brittani. “The stuff I was going through this offseason, outside of my marriage, were very difficult things.”

According to the man himself, Rodgers had little control over his portrayal in the media. Even when it came to the title of his latest docuseries, Enigma, he had no say in the matter.

After spending the majority of his career attempting to safeguard his personal life, he’s now come to the realization that, whether he likes it or not, a lot of that information will eventually make its way into the hands of the public. He’s done his best to open up more in his later years, but he still wishes that certain things could be kept behind closed doors.

“The first 10 years of my career, I didn’t want to talk about anything. I was having issues with my family that I thought was appropriate to keep private. Although I dated high-profile people, I, for the most part, wanted to keep that private.”

Unfortunately, sensationalism tends to reign over the truth in today’s world. Interactions on social media and malicious rumors are actively putting food on people’s tables, so long as that’s the case, figures such as Rodgers will continue to struggle with their public perception.