Aaron Rodgers Takes Shot at His Brother and 'The Bachelorette' Over Hometown Episode

Aaron Rodgers: Enigma is now available on Netflix.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Aaron Rodgers: Enigma is now available on Netflix. The much-anticipated docuseries represents the most comprehensive look yet at what makes the New York Jets' unique quarterback tick. Few would have expected it to come out with New York sitting at 4-10 and simply fulfilling its contractual obligations to play out the season.

Those fortunate enough to get an early look or press play as soon as it went live are sharing their impressions of the project, as well as the most memorable moments. ESPN's Rich Cimini is one of them and offered the following:

In the second episode, we see Rodgers last offseason on an ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica, smoking a giant pipe, downing a brownish liquid that looks like mud water, dancing, playing the bongos and describing the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly while appearing glassy-eyed and quite giddy (wink, wink)

Rodgers has talked about his interest in ayahuasca and how it has impacted his life and career, but it's quite another thing to see him participating in an actual ceremony. You may not agree with his views or his approach to life, but it makes for a compelling watch.

Viewers interested in learning more about Rodgers's side of the story when it comes to his fractured relationship with his family will learn more about how that escalated when his brother appeared a reality show several years ago.

Rodgers blames his family for publicizing the rift when his younger brother, Jordan, appeared on "The Bachelorette" in 2016. The home visit to meet the family, a staple of the TV series, still irks him.

"They go on a bulls--- show and leave two empty chairs," Rodgers says. "They all agree that this was a good thing to do, to leave two empty chairs on a stupid dating show that my brother just went on to get famous?"

No one else in the Rodgers family participated in the docuseries. For Aaron's part, it sounds as though he's open to a reconciliation while being realistic about the different places each camps are in their journeys.

There will be more tidbits trickling out through the day as people get their eyes on this series. The early returns suggest it's nothing if not engaging.


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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.