FORMER executive director of the NFL Players Association DeMaurice Smith hasn’t forgotten how difficult it was to deal with Aaron Rodgers.
The new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Rodgers didn’t make Smith’s job easy, to say the least.
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Smith led the NFLPA from 2009 to 2023.
The 61-year-old has an upcoming new book, called Turf Wars,” and he made sure to call out Rodgers for his behavior when it came to working with the NFLPA.
“The god of Cheesehead Nation was isolated and dismissive,” Smith described Rodgers in the book.
“He sat in the back row of the meeting room, issuing loud sighs before standing for a dramatic exit.
“An incredible quarterback, to be sure, but an even more impressive antagonist.”
Rodgers was public with his criticisms of the 202 collective bargaining agreement.
The four-time NFL MVP voted against the agreement and noted his disapproval of the 17-game season.
“In August 2021, my phone chirped with a text from Aaron Rodgers,” Smith wrote.
“‘Can you call me?’ it read. Could I not run into traffic instead.”
Rodgers has been known to be brutally honest, especially while he’s on his buddy Pat McAfee’s self-titled ESPN show.
The 41-year-old’s character has also been in question as he’s estranged from his brother, Jordan, and parents.
And Rodgers’ ex-girlfriend, former professional racer Danica Patrick, called him “emotionally abusive” and said that he “wore me down to nothing.”
Rodgers has been in the headlines throughout the NFL offseason over his football future.
The 20-year veteran signed with the Steelers in early June after months of contemplating his future and made a cameo appearance during the team’s minicamp session.
Rodgers also raised eyebrows by announcing that he got married during the offseason.
NFL important dates 2025 season
March 12 – Free Agency begins
April 24-26 – NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin
September 4 – 2025 season opener (TBC vs Eagles)
November 27 – Thanksgiving Day triple header
January 4, 2026 – End of regular-season
February 8, 2026 – Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California
But his relationship remains a mystery as his significant other has yet to be named.
Rodgers isn’t the only big NFL name that Smith name-dropped in his upcoming book.
Smith described league commissioner Roger Goodell as a “cold, dark void.”
And Smith made sure to mention Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
“If Jerry Jones saw a dollar bill on the ground, I trully believe he’d stop and pick it up,” he wrote.
