“No Family No Kids”: Pat McAfee Goes After Aaron Rodgers’ Critics After Shailene Woodley’s Major Allegations

When it comes to Aaron Rodgers, no topic’s off-limits—not his torn Achilles, not his ayahuasca retreat (the one during the mandatory OTA in the last offseason), and definitely not the family drama. But if you thought you were going to bury Rodgers over his personal life and walk away clean, his close friend Pat McAfee had something to say about that. And boy, he didn’t just defend A-Rod—he blasted ’em.

But before that, let’s give you some context. In December 2024, Aaron’s younger brother Jordan Rodgers revealed some harsh truths, claiming that it was not the family that had broken their ties with Aaron but it is quite the opposite. “It’s just the way he’s chosen to do life,” Jordan explained. “I chose to stay close with my family and my parents and my brother [Luke].” Now, this is when things got interesting.

Around the same time, Netflix dropped a revealing documentary “Aaron Rodgers: Enigma” on his life where Aaron opened up about his personal life. The man went deep, ayahuasca-deep. Spiritual retreats in Costa Rica, emotional estrangement from his family, and a full-blown takedown of how fame twisted his inner circle. “Your life is too big; we need you to be smaller,” he said, quoting family.

So, now that everyone knows about his estrangement from family, there’s a dilemma: ‘If A-Rod will retire or will he keep on playing because off no inner-circle, literally!’ The critics lined up to take their shot, tossing around words like “loner,” “egomaniac,” or worse — McAfee said not today on the Footbahlin Podcast. “People bury him, you know, for the no family, no kids thing,” Pat said on his show. “But [he’s going to play] that’s because he’s a baller.” Translation? If A-Rod plays, that’s because he loves to throw pigskin. There’s no other reason.

That’s one way to hit back. McAfee, clearly Team Rodgers, painted a picture of a guy more comfortable jamming on a guitar than hitting a nightclub. “He’s a hippie for sure,” he added. “Just a different kind of dude.”

And maybe that’s the point. Rodgers isn’t your classic QB archetype. He’s not Mr. Family Values™, the ones who hang the cleats for the post-football life. Nor is he the ‘America’s QB’ kind of polished. He’s a beard-wearing, plant-medicine-taking, guitar-strumming philosopher who just happens to sling a football better than most humans alive.

Yeah, he’s not everyone’s cup of ayahuasca — but is that really the problem? Not really… I mean, it’s not if you’re OK with a QB who does stuff on the gridiron, and off it, just like how he pleases. So, the teams are stuck in a pickle: how to fit him in a system if there’s one? Despite this downside, Pat McAfee and AJ Hawk surely think there’s a team out there ready for Rodgers.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Pat, you know Aaron better than anybody.’ That’s not true — A.J. Hawk probably knows Aaron better than anybody. And A.J. thinks Aaron’s still playing — doesn’t think he’ll be able to give the game up,” Pat said.

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This is what being in the spotlight for 20 years does to someone, especially a former young prodigy

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Now let’s rewind a bit. The Jets sold the farm to get him — draft picks, cap space, maybe their souls. And what did they get? One drive in 2023. A 5-12 follow-up season in 2024. Seven one-score losses. Add a revolving door of coaches, GMs, and receivers who came and went like fast food orders, and Rodgers’ “Jet-lag” is starting to show.

Still, is it fair to pin all of it on him? The man had a 90.5 passer rating and tossed 28 touchdowns. That’s not washed. That’s just… not elite. Not AR12 elite. And in a city that eats average alive, Rodgers had to wear it all. The losses. The injuries. The broken promises.

He was battling it all out. Everything happened last season. So, maybe there’s a way out because A-Rod’s not done. Certainly, not after how the whole Shailene Woodley spillage during the middle of the season when the football wasn’t footballing. Trust Rodgers to fuel that energy in 2025 for a better ‘Last Dance.’

What happened with Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers?

December 1, 2024. The Jets had just taken a 26-21 punch to the gut from Seattle. They dropped to 3-9. And the playoff hopes were officially dead. Aaron Rodgers couldn’t be the guy to break the drought. During that game, in particular, well, he was nowhere near the field. Then,  on December 3, 2024 — two days later — People Magazine dropped the headline.

Not from a sideline reporter, but straight from Shailene Woodley, “It was not right. But it was beautiful,” talking about her relationship with A-Rod. Shailene went full-on vulnerable with Outside Magazine, saying she rarely talks about Rodgers because it “always makes [her] cry.”

It was not gossip — it was grief. Their breakup confirmed back in February 2022, wasn’t your usual celebrity uncoupling. There was a reconciliation attempt. And then another split in April. Rodgers was tossing Hail Marys on the gridiron and dodging media questions.

During the entire interview, reeling from grief, Shailene never dropped his name, but the wounds were obvious. “A really awful, traumatic thing happened in early 2022,” she said. It spun her into a depression so dark she felt like she had lost her soul. And while she stuck around in what she called a “toxic situation,” it wasn’t because she didn’t see it. It was empathy and wanting to chase that beauty. The hope just kept pushing her to try.

Alas, no happy ending. She leaned on the support of her best friend, Kris Zero, made her Broadway debut, and found purpose in activism and storytelling. Meanwhile, Rodgers was thanking her on Instagram for teaching him about “unconditional love.” That post was the final drive of their relationship. Heartfelt, but ultimately… too late.

So where are they now? She’s on stage. He’s under center or will be in 2025 if there’s a team there who wants him.