Jordan Rodgers Picks Brother Aaron as the AFC Quarterback He Trusts Most
Jordan Rodgers picked his older brother Aaron Rodgers as the AFC quarterback he would trust most in the playoffs. Jordan, 38, an ESPN college football analyst, made the pick on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Asked to choose among the top AFC quarterbacks, he went with Aaron over Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos and Drake Maye of the New England Patriots. Jordan pointed to Pittsburgh’s elite defense, a strong running game and the fact that the Steelers ask less of Aaron than ever before in his career. The comments were rare public words from Jordan about his brother, and they came about two weeks after a Page Six report described the brothers as only cordial.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Who spoke | Jordan Rodgers, 38, ESPN college football analyst and younger brother of Aaron Rodgers |
| Where | ESPN’s First Take, Wednesday, November 4, 2026 |
| The question | Which AFC quarterback would you trust most in the playoffs |
| His pick | Aaron Rodgers, 42, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Passed over | Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Bo Nix and Drake Maye |
| Why he picked Aaron | Pittsburgh’s elite defense, a strong running game, and the Steelers asking less of Aaron than ever before |
| Family background | The brothers’ rift became public in 2016 when Jordan appeared on The Bachelorette |
| October 22 report | Page Six reported Jordan and his wife JoJo Fletcher are only cordial with Aaron |
| Aaron’s September claim | Aaron said on the Not Just Football podcast that he had reconciled with his family after a decade-long rift |
| Jordan’s wife | JoJo Fletcher, former Bachelorette star, married Jordan in May 2022 |
| Where they live | Jordan and JoJo live in Puerto Rico |
What Jordan Said on First Take
Jordan Rodgers does not talk about his brother on television very often, which is why his appearance on First Take on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, drew so much attention. The show asked him a simple question: which AFC quarterback would he trust most in the playoffs. The list of names was a strong one, including Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Bo Nix and Drake Maye.
Jordan picked Aaron. His words were direct, and he knew the choice would raise eyebrows. He said, quote, “This one might surprise you a little bit. I am gonna go Rodgers, and here is why. I think Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now.” That last line matters, because it showed that Jordan was not dismissing the other quarterbacks. He praised Allen in the same breath as he picked his brother, and that made the choice feel like a football judgment rather than a family favor.
The pick was notable for another reason too. Jordan is an ESPN college football analyst, and he is paid to give honest opinions on the air. He could have taken the safe route and picked Allen or Mahomes, the two names most people would reach for first. Instead he went with Aaron, and he gave clear football reasons for doing it.
Why He Picked Aaron Over the Other Stars
Jordan built his case around the team around Aaron, not just the quarterback himself. He pointed to Pittsburgh’s elite defense, a strong running game, and the fact that the Steelers ask less of Aaron than ever before in his career. That last point is key to understanding the pick. Aaron Rodgers, 42, is the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, and he is playing in a system that does not ask him to carry the whole offense the way he once had to in Green Bay.
The logic is simple. A great defense and a strong running game take pressure off a quarterback, and a quarterback under less pressure makes fewer mistakes. Jordan added that he trusts the player with the MVPs and veteran status who has seen everything.
It is also worth noting how strong the field was. Mahomes has won multiple Super Bowls. Allen is widely seen as one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now, and Jordan said so himself. Burrow has taken a team to the Super Bowl. Picking Aaron over that group is a bold call, and Jordan knew it. For more on how Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars are playing this season, read about the Jaguars beating the Ravens 33-10 on Thursday Night Football.
The Brothers and the Long Rift
The football pick cannot be separated from the family story, because the two brothers have had a public rift for a decade. The estrangement became public in 2016 when Jordan appeared on The Bachelorette and spoke about it on the show. That was the first time many fans learned that the Rodgers brothers were not close, and the story has followed both of them ever since.
Jordan married JoJo Fletcher, the former Bachelorette star, in May 2022, and the couple live in Puerto Rico. He has built a career as a television analyst, while Aaron has continued to play at the highest level of the sport. That is why any public comment from Jordan about Aaron carries extra weight.
The timing of the First Take comments added another layer. They came about two weeks after Page Six reported on October 22 that Jordan and JoJo are only cordial with Aaron, with a source saying Aaron “has led the public to believe things are better than they actually are with Jordan.” For more on the kind of trade talk and team building that shapes the AFC race, read about Trey Hendrickson and the Ravens 30 million dollar closer opener.
What Aaron Has Said About the Family
Aaron Rodgers, 42, has spoken about his family more openly in recent months. On the Not Just Football podcast in September 2026, he said that he had reconciled with his family after a decade-long rift, saying the family had come “full circle” and crediting his wife Brittani. It was a hopeful statement, and it suggested that the years of distance were behind them.
The Page Six report in October told a different story. A source told the outlet that the brothers are only cordial, and that Aaron has led the public to believe things are better than they actually are with Jordan. Those two accounts do not line up neatly, and it is not possible for an outsider to know the full truth of a private family relationship. What is public is what each side has said, and the two versions differ.
Aaron has also asked for privacy on the subject. He told The Athletic in August that family matters should be off limits. The brothers are public figures, and their careers invite attention, but the details of a family relationship belong to the family.
What the Pick Says About the Steelers
Put the family story aside for a moment, and Jordan’s pick is still a strong statement about the Pittsburgh Steelers. He trusts the player with the MVPs and veteran status who has seen everything, and he trusts the team built around him. Pittsburgh’s defense is one of the best in the league, the running game is strong, and the offense does not ask Aaron to do too much. That is a formula that has won playoff games before, and it is a formula that suits a 42-year-old quarterback who knows how to manage a game.
The Steelers have built their season around that balance. A great defense keeps games close, a strong running game controls the clock, and a veteran quarterback makes the throws that matter. Jordan’s pick reflects that thinking. He is not saying Aaron is the most talented quarterback in the AFC. He is saying that, in a playoff game, with this team around him, Aaron is the one he would trust most.
That is a fair way to judge the question, and it is a reminder that playoff football is about more than one player. Jordan looked at the whole picture, and he picked the combination of Aaron’s experience and Pittsburgh’s defense and running game. For more on another veteran star still making history in the league, read about Derrick Henry passing LaDainian Tomlinson for seventh on the NFL all-time rushing list.
Who did Jordan Rodgers pick as the AFC quarterback he trusts most in the playoffs?
Jordan Rodgers picked his older brother Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. He made the pick on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, choosing Aaron over Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Bo Nix and Drake Maye.
Why did Jordan Rodgers pick Aaron Rodgers?
Jordan pointed to Pittsburgh’s elite defense, a strong running game, and the fact that the Steelers ask less of Aaron than ever before in his career. He added that he trusts the player with the MVPs and veteran status who has seen everything, and he praised Josh Allen as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now.
Are Aaron and Jordan Rodgers reconciled?
Aaron said on the Not Just Football podcast in September 2026 that he had reconciled with his family after a decade-long rift, saying the family had come “full circle.” However, Page Six reported on October 22 that Jordan and his wife JoJo Fletcher are only “cordial” with Aaron, with a source saying Aaron “has led the public to believe things are better than they actually are with Jordan.” The two accounts differ, and the full truth is a private family matter.
When did the Rodgers brothers’ rift become public?
The rift became public in 2016 when Jordan appeared on The Bachelorette and spoke about the estrangement. Jordan married JoJo Fletcher in May 2022, and the couple live in Puerto Rico. Aaron told The Athletic in August that family matters should be off limits.
Sources
Page Six: Aaron Rodgers brother Jordan makes rare comment about quarterback
Page Six: The truth about Aaron Rodgers reconciliation with brother Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher
Final Thoughts
Jordan Rodgers picked his brother Aaron as the AFC quarterback he would trust most in the playoffs, and he did it on live television with clear football reasons. He pointed to Pittsburgh’s elite defense, a strong running game, and a system that asks less of Aaron than ever before, and he trusted the veteran with the MVPs who has seen everything. The pick was bold, because the field included Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, but Jordan made his case with confidence. The family background gives the moment extra meaning, since the brothers’ rift became public in 2016 and the two sides have given different accounts of where things stand. Aaron said in September that the family had come full circle, while a Page Six source in October described the brothers as only cordial. What is clear is that Jordan, speaking as an analyst on First Take, put his trust in his brother when the games matter most, and that is a pick worth remembering as the playoff race takes shape.
