Aaron Rodgers is speaking publicly about his relationship with Shailene Woodley for the first time, offering his perspective on why their highly publicized engagement ended more than four years ago.
During an appearance on his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Cam Heyward’s podcast “Not Just Football” on Thursday, September 10, the 42-year-old quarterback shared extensive details about his relationship with the Hollywood actress, disputing the narrative that has circulated since their split became public in 2022.
Rodgers claimed that Woodley began having second thoughts almost immediately after accepting his proposal and that she ultimately ended the engagement. He also pushed back against Woodley’s previous comments about the difficult period surrounding their breakup, disputing the suggestion that he was the one who walked away.
A representative for Woodley did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Rodgers’ claims. The actress has not publicly responded to his latest remarks.
Rodgers and Woodley first became romantically linked in 2020, shortly after Rodgers ended his relationship with NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. The couple moved quickly, and by late 2020, their relationship had become serious.
News broke in February 2021 that the two were engaged, with Rodgers confirming the engagement during his NFL MVP acceptance speech. Woodley later confirmed the news during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”.
The relationship generated significant public interest, bringing together one of the NFL’s most prominent quarterbacks and a well-known actress known for her roles in “Divergent,” “Big Little Lies,” and “The Fault in Our Stars”.
The engagement between Rodgers and Woodley became one of the most discussed celebrity relationships of 2021. Rodgers, then playing for the Green Bay Packers, and Woodley, based in Los Angeles, faced the challenge of maintaining a long-distance relationship while pursuing demanding careers.
The couple was photographed together at various events, and their relationship appeared to be progressing toward marriage. However, reports of trouble in the relationship began to surface in early 2022, with distance cited as a significant strain.
By April 2022, reports confirmed that the engagement had ended.
In his podcast appearance, Rodgers provided his account of what happened during the engagement—a version that differs significantly from the timeline that has been widely reported.
Rodgers said he proposed in December 2020 and Woodley accepted. However, he claimed that within days of the proposal, Woodley told him she wanted to sleep with another person before they got married.
According to Rodgers, Woodley took off her engagement ring by March 2021, just months after accepting his proposal. He said they made attempts to reconcile afterward, but those efforts ultimately failed.
“Her story is that I ruined her life and gave her a crazy depression because I left her,” Rodgers said. “But the actuality is, she told me that then she took off the ring by March. So I proposed in December, [she] took out the ring by March. And we had a couple of times where we tried to, you know, get reunited, and nothing ever happened”.
Rodgers also disputed the idea that their relationship ended in 2022. “There wasn’t even a relationship in ’22 to break off,” he said. “She literally told me, ‘I don’t want to be with you,’ after we tried to have some sort of reconciliation in 2021”.
He added: “There’s just a lot of narratives out there that are just not true”.
Rodgers also made a broader statement about his past relationships, saying: “The height of their fame was when they were with me”.
Woodley has previously spoken about the relationship and its aftermath, offering a perspective that appears to differ from Rodgers’ account.
In a 2024 interview with Outside magazine, Woodley described the period following the breakup as one of the most difficult times of her life.
“I haven’t shared much about my relationship with Aaron because it always makes me cry,” she said. “It was not right. But it was beautiful”.
Woodley also described experiencing what she called a “really awful, traumatic thing” in early 2022, around the time the couple’s split became public.
“I felt like I lost my soul, my self, my happiness, my joy,” she said. “I really understood depression and anxiety and, like, complete soul detachment”.
In an interview with Bustle in 2024, Woodley spoke about falling in love “over and over with unavailability” and said she was no longer “interested” in people who “cross” or “disrespect” her.
She also described the period as the “darkest, hardest time of [her] life” in a 2023 interview with Net-a-Porter, saying “My personal life was s—tty, so it felt like a big pain bubble for eight months”.
Woodley did not identify Rodgers by name when discussing the “toxic situation” she said she stayed in due to empathy for “someone else”.
What is actually known about the end of Rodgers and Woodley’s relationship is complicated by the fact that the two parties have offered different accounts.
The two accounts do not fully align, and neither party has provided a complete, mutually agreed-upon explanation for why the engagement ended.
Rodgers confirmed in his podcast appearance that he and Woodley attempted to reconcile after the engagement ended.
“We had a couple of times where we tried to get reunited and nothing ever happened,” he said.
According to Rodgers, these reconciliation attempts occurred in 2021, not 2022 as has been widely reported. He said Woodley ultimately told him she did not want to be with him.
Reports from 2022 indicated that the couple briefly reconnected in late February or early March of that year, with Rodgers posting an affectionate Instagram story around that time. However, any reconciliation was short-lived, and by April 2022, reports confirmed the engagement was over for good.
Reports first link Rodgers and Woodley romantically, following Rodgers’ split from Danica Patrick.
The relationship becomes serious. Rodgers now says he proposed in December 2020.
News confirms the couple is engaged. Rodgers reveals the engagement during his NFL MVP acceptance speech.
According to Rodgers, Woodley took off her engagement ring by this time.
Rodgers says the couple attempted reconciliation but ultimately separated.
Reports emerge that the engagement is off, with distance cited as a strain.
The couple is briefly linked to a reconciliation, with Rodgers posting an affectionate Instagram tribute.
Reports confirm the engagement is over permanently.
Woodley speaks publicly about the difficult period following the breakup.
Rodgers offers his account of the relationship and breakup on the “Not Just Football” podcast.
Rodgers’ decision to speak publicly about his relationship with Woodley has generated significant attention for several reasons.
First, Rodgers has largely avoided discussing his personal life in recent years. His comments represent his most detailed account of the relationship since the breakup became public more than four years ago.
Second, the nature of his claims—particularly the allegation about Woodley wanting to sleep with someone else after accepting his proposal—has drawn substantial media coverage.
Third, Rodgers’ comments come as he prepares to begin what he has said will be his final NFL season, adding a personal dimension to his farewell tour.
Fourth, the story touches on themes of celebrity relationships, mental health, and competing narratives about private events that continue to resonate with audiences.
Rodgers also used the podcast appearance to criticize his exes more broadly, saying they “like to tell their version of the history of what actually happened, making me out to be this monster of a partner”.
Aaron Rodgers is an NFL quarterback who has played for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and currently the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is a four-time NFL MVP and one of the most prominent players in the league.
Shailene Woodley is an American actress known for her roles in “Divergent,” “Big Little Lies,” “The Fault in Our Stars,” and “The Descendants.”
The couple became engaged in early 2021. Rodgers confirmed the engagement during his NFL MVP acceptance speech in February 2021.
Reports confirmed the engagement had ended by April 2022.
Rodgers claimed that Woodley had second thoughts shortly after accepting his proposal, took off her engagement ring by March 2021, and ultimately told him she did not want to be with him. He disputed that the relationship continued into 2022.
Woodley described the relationship as “not right” but “beautiful” and spoke about experiencing significant emotional difficulties during the period following the breakup.
Rodgers said they attempted reconciliation a couple of times but nothing ever came of it. He said these attempts occurred in 2021.
No. Woodley has not publicly responded to Rodgers’ comments on the “Not Just Football” podcast.
Rodgers made the comments during an appearance on “Not Just Football,” the podcast hosted by his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Cam Heyward, on September 10, 2026.
Rodgers is currently the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and has said the 2026 season will be his final one.