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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and actress Shailene Woodley have broken off their engagement after less than two years together, according to In Touch Weekly.
In an exclusive report, the celebrity gossip magazine cited “multiple sources” close to the couple and confirmed they were no longer together. In Touch also added that a big reason for the two of them splitting up was that Rodgers “got cold feet” about their impending wedding and “put football first” too often during their time together.
“While Shailene is supportive of Aaron’s career, he put football first and they were barely spending any time together,” An insider said, via In Touch.“She felt he neglected their relationship. Neither of them was happy.”
A second insider was also quoted and said of the couple’s breakup: “There were too many obstacles. They’re both adults and decided to part amicably.”
Neither Rodgers nor Woodley has publicly confirmed their breakup.
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Timeline of Rodgers & Woodley’s Relationship
Rodgers and Woodley quietly began their relationship during the 2020 NFL season not long after the 38-year-old quarterback broke things off with race car driver Danica Patrick. While there were speculations, nothing about their relationship was public until Rodgers surprisingly revealed he was engaged during the NFL Honors show while accepting his third career MVP on February 6, 2021.
A few weeks later, Rodgers and the 30-year-old actress went public with their relationship and made several public appearances together throughout the NFL offseason. One such instance was when they visited the Walt Disney World Resorts in April 2021 and participated in a few different press events, including a video interview at the resort. They also took a romantic trip to Hawaii in May along with Miles Teller — one of Woodley’s former co-stars — and his wife, Keleigh Sperry.
After the 2021 NFL season started, though, Rodgers and Woodley (understandably) weren’t seen together in public as often. Rodgers was locked in on helping the Packers finish as the NFC’s top playoff seed for the second year in a row, while Woodley has a few TV and film projects in production that have presumably kept her elsewhere.
The lack of presence in each other’s lives began to spawn breakup rumors in December 2021, particularly after Rodgers was spotted out on his birthday on December 2 without his fiancé. Woodley also didn’t share anything about his birthday on social media, causing some to wonder about their relationship — though, a report from People.com noted that Rodgers and Woodley were in a “non-traditional relationship” and didn’t feel the need for publicizing the moments between them.
Rodgers Still Weighing Options on Packers Future
While ending an engagement is certainly noteworthy, it is possible Rodgers will have to break off another long-term commitment in the coming months as he weighs his future with the Packers for next season and beyond. The Packers have maintained they want to have Rodgers back as their starting quarterback in 2022, but the four-time MVP has just one more year left on his expensive contract and holds some decision-making power.
Essentially, Rodgers’ three options are as follows: He could sign a new contract with the Packers that reduces his massive salary-cap number and gives him more career security; he could cut his losses and decide to retire from the NFL; or he could request a trade from the Packers and compel them to entertain offers from inquiring teams.
The Packers wouldn’t have to oblige Rodgers’ trade request if he did end up requesting a change of scenery, but the value of trading him will almost certainly never get higher than now with him coming off back-to-back MVP campaigns. They also would have a difficult time fielding a quality team in 2022 without altering Rodgers’ current deal, which is set to carry a $46 million cap hit for next season.
Rodgers has promised he wouldn’t drag out his decision too long, leading some to believe his status will be certain before free agency begins on March 17. As of now, though, all fans can do is wait and see what Rodgers and the Packers will choose to do.
The best thing for the Packers to do is to trade him, if they want to prosper in the long run. If they want to be competitive in 2022, and probably in 2023, they should keep him. But, the Packers will surely suck for a long time after Rodgers leaves the team. My conclusion is… trade him to the highest bidder, and don’t accept any players in the trade that will hurt their cap space. In other words… I don’t want D. Carr.