Aaron Rodgers joined the Pittsburgh Steelers for the start of their mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday.
Newly signed Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed a recent, previously undisclosed marriage.
The four-time NFL MVP spent months weighing his options before ultimately signing a one-year contract with the Steelers.
Rodgers signed his contract on Saturday; a team-posted photo on social media, external showed a wedding band on his ring finger.
Following his first day of training with the Steelers, the 41-year-old addressed the media on Tuesday. When questioned about the ring, Rodgers confirmed, “Yeah, it’s a wedding ring,” adding, “It’s been a couple of months.”
Rodgers’ arrival in Pittsburgh follows a less-than-stellar second season with the New York Jets, marking his first foray into free agency in his 20-year career.
He visited the Steelers and reportedly received an offer from the New York Giants, but in April, Rodgers stated he was “open to anything,” including retirement.
The 2011 Super Bowl champion previously cited personal reasons for delaying his decision. At Tuesday’s press conference he elaborated, “I was dealing with a lot of things in my personal life. Some things improved, allowing me to fully commit to the team. I didn’t want to shortchange the guys by being mentally or physically elsewhere. I needed to take care of my business before committing fully.”
Rodgers, who spent 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, has had several high-profile relationships throughout his NFL career. However, this is his first marriage. He offered no further details about his wife on Tuesday.
In a December interview on The Pat McAfee Show, he mentioned a girlfriend named Brittani while discussing Christmas shopping. When asked if it was Britney Spears, Rodgers clarified, “Not Britney Spears, no. This is Brittani with an ‘i’.”
Speaking to McAfee again in April, Rodgers confirmed he was “in a serious relationship,” adding, “I have off-the-field stuff going on that requires my attention… personal commitments I made, not knowing what my future would look like, that are important to me.”
It appears one of those commitments was his wedding, perhaps even including a honeymoon.
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Following his visit, Rodgers maintained regular contact with head coach Mike Tomlin before finalizing his decision. Tomlin, 53, is the NFL’s longest-tenured current head coach, leading the Steelers since 2007.
He led the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl victory in 2009, before losing to Rodgers’ Packers in 2011. The Steelers have not had a losing season under Tomlin’s 18-year tenure.
On choosing Pittsburgh, Rodgers stated, “It starts with Mike Tomlin. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. The rapport between us meant there was no other option for me. It was here or retirement.”
Only Peyton Manning (five) has more NFL MVP awards than Rodgers, yet a second Super Bowl ring remains elusive. Regarding a potential Super Bowl win with Pittsburgh, Rodgers noted, “It’d mean a seventh championship for the city. That’d be great. I have a lot that motivates me, but this is about the love for the game—a game that has given me so much—and making peace with a nice, long career.”
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