Free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers stopped by his favorite program, “The Pat McAfee Show,” for a lengthy appearance Wednesday, March 4, a conversation that included a long discussion about his feelings for new Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy, of course, was in charge of the Green Bay Packers when Rodgers ascended as one of the best quarterbacks in football, which included leading the Packers to a Super Bowl victory over the Steelers after the 2010 season.
Rodgers’ status for 2026 remains uncertain, but the Steelers have left the door open for him to return to the Steelers and reunite with McCarthy.
“Mike’s one of the great guys in the league,” Rodgers said. “Just an absolutely exceptional human being with a huge heart. We had a lot of great years together, a lot of fun. He really cares about the players, but he also holds guys accountable and creates a lot of structure and details in the process.
“I loved my time with Mike over the years. It’s like a big brother, where sometimes you love him, sometimes you’re pissed at him, but deep down, there’s so much love for Mike and appreciation for the time we spent together.”
McCarthy was fired in 2018, then became the Dallas Cowboys coach from 2020 through 2024.
“In 2022, he was with Dallas and they came in and played a night game against us and we were going through some struggles,” Rodgers said, referring to a late-afternoon game Nov. 13 at Lambeau Field. “Mike and I had talked, [and said] ‘Let’s spend some time together before the game away from the cameras.’ Because we knew it was going to be a spectacle. … ‘Let’s spend some time together where we’re not with a boom mic over the top of us and a camera on us.'”
Rodgers said much of the negative impression around his relationship with McCarthy was “bull—-” and he got a chance to enjoy a long conversation with McCarthy in a sewing room adjacent to the locker room.
“We met in there for an hour, just him and I, and had a really special time talking about the time we spent together and the appreciation we have for each other and the gratitude,” Rodgers said. “That was a deeply meaningful moment for both of us, I think I can say.”
Rodgers endorsed McCarthy’s ability to lead a franchise even as one of the older coaches in the league at age 62, especially, in this case, because McCarthy is a Pittsburgh native.
“There’s something to an old-school organization, which the Pittsburgh Steelers definitely are, just like the Green Bay Packers were, and bringing in a guy who not only brings accountability and a program that’s proven to work at multiple places now. …
“Mike bleeds Pittsburgh, PA. I think there’s something special about that for a guy who’s going to come home and lead a historic franchise. … Who else would you rather have lead? A guy that literally bleeds black and gold and loves the city with all his heart. And this is like a dream job for him.
“I was telling him after he got hired, ‘What an awesome thing. You’re going to have coached three of the iconic franchises – Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. Are you kidding me? That’s ’60s, ’70s and ’80s dynasties. For a guy to try and come back and lead back to that greatness, I don’t think you can do better at this time in this franchise’s history than bringing in a guy like Mike McCarthy. So I’m really happy for him.”
Here are other takeaways from the conversation:
Aaron Rodgers has no timeline for deciding on his return
Rodgers offered no insight into his timeline to decide whether to play in 2026 – with the Steelers or any other team.
“There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me,” he said. “There’s no contract offer or anything. So there’s nothing that I’ve had to debate between. I’m a free agent. I’ve been enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason. I think there’s conversations to be had down the line but, right now, there hasn’t been any progressive conversations.
“I love Mike, and Mike and I have kept in contact over the years. I’ve had conversations with [Steelers general manager Omar Khan]. I think Omar enjoyed having me there. I think the guys had a positive response to our time together. But again, there hasn’t been any deadline set on me.”
Aaron Rodgers says he’s been stalked
Rodgers took several minutes to talk about the scrutiny around his marriage and his wife. He also said he’s been stalked at his Malibu, California, home.
“The obsession is f—— bizarre. That’s the only way to put it,” he said. “The obsession is really bizarre. … We’re not living at the beach anymore. Part of it is I have legitimate stalkers and I don’t say that lightly or flippantly. I’ve been getting stalked at my house for about a year and a half, when I was living there. Not just that but stalked at the coffee shop I would frequent, the gym that I would go to, which was really bizarre. Still is.
“And then the paparazzi was stalking me for a long time, flying drones over my house, and I’ve learned has had a bounty on getting a picture of my wife, which I think is very bizarre as well.
“I understand the attention that comes with somebody who has accomplished what I’ve accomplished. So in no way am I making this a ‘woe is me.’ But when it comes to your personal safety and, now it’s not just me. It’s me and her. It’s really f—– bizarre.”
Aaron Rodgers talks about when he met his wife
Rodgers talked about his start with his now-wife, who he has said is named Brittani, and how they didn’t begin a relationship initially.
“When we met back in 2017, I knew that there was something crazy special about this and I wanted to be with her,” he said. “And she would make funny comments like ‘I would never live in Green Bay’ and ‘I don’t want to be a player’s wife.’ She’s not a public person. And then she moved back across the pond.
“And I got myself into, you know, crazytown. And I was with individuals who called paparazzi, who talked about where I was living, who coerced me to make the proverbial Instagram social media posts.
“I never really wanted to live a public life. You look at the saga with my family. For years, it was one-sided. They were making shots in the media, saying bull—-. I never said anything until it got to the point where, ‘Enough is enough.'”
Aaron Rodgers says he and his wife want a private life outside of football
Rodgers went on to talk about how he and his wife want to live a private life, understanding that he will get attention if he continues to play football.
“She didn’t sign up for this bull—. She signed up because she loves me,” he said. “She supports me and she wants to spend the rest of our lives together and start a family. She didn’t sign up to be out front, a social media WAG. She doesn’t want any of that bullshit and I don’t either. …
“I understand when I play, if I play, that there’s scrutiny. There’s attention that comes with it. But I’m fully content on living a private life. But you have people out there that say s— about me and create these narratives and talk about my wife and talk about this and that and search for our wedding certificate and all this different bull—.
“We’re not living a public life. We’re not going to now. We’re not going to in the future, not ever. When this is done, it’s Keyser Soze and [poof]. You won’t see me. I’m not doing TV. I’m not going to be out and about.”
Rodgers said he wants those recounting false narratives to “‘just f—— move on.”
“It’s been years and years and years,” he said. “I dealt with clinically bipolar. I dealt with depressed relevance-seeking. I dealt with people that wanted to search out other possibilities before they could commit to me and then go on TV talking about how I ruined their lives and all this s—.
“I just want to say, ‘Move on with your life. Stop lying about me. Just move on with your life and be happy.'”
Aaron Rodgers praises Olympic hockey teams, asks why Wisconsin doesn’t have NHL team
Rodgers talked about watching the Winter Olympics and had praise for the U.S. hockey teams, noting his connection with one player in particular.
“Of course, I watched our men and women playing hockey,” he said. “I’ve gotten to know Hilary Knight. There’s so many Wisconsin connections. I don’t know why they don’t have an NHL team because there are so many great hockey players that come from that state.
“So I was definitely tuned in for the women and they were just an absolute buzzsaw, weren’t they?”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers talks McCarthy, wife, stalkers on ‘Pat McAfee Show’
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
