Jordan Rodgers has publicly backed his brother Aaron Rodgers after the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback endured an uneven opening to the 2026 NFL season.
Speaking on ESPN’s First Take on September 23, Jordan said Aaron’s downfield throws had been more accurate than the early results suggested. He also joked about his family connection before offering his assessment of the Steelers’ offence.
The comments came only weeks after Aaron revealed that he and Jordan had reconnected following years of estrangement.
Jordan Rodgers Defends Aaron Rodgers on ESPN
During his First Take appearance, Jordan Rodgers argued that Aaron had shown better accuracy than his early statistics might indicate.
He pointed to incomplete passes that he believed resulted from drops or missed calls rather than inaccurate throws. Jordan then acknowledged the obvious family connection with a joke about not being a biased supporter.
His comments drew laughter from the ESPN panel.
The discussion came after Pittsburgh opened the 2026 season with mixed results. The Steelers defeated Atlanta 20-13 in Week 1 before suffering a 20-3 loss to New England in Week 2.
Jordan’s comments were therefore less about dismissing the Steelers’ problems and more about asking viewers to consider the circumstances behind the early numbers.
Jordan Rodgers Compares Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy
Jordan also discussed Aaron’s relationship with Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy.
The connection between the two goes back to their years with the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy coached Rodgers in Green Bay, where the quarterback helped the team win Super Bowl XLV.
Now, the two are working together again in Pittsburgh.
Jordan described their current dynamic through the lens of a relationship that had been restarted after a long separation. He suggested that both Aaron and McCarthy are still adjusting to their new situation and learning how their respective approaches fit together.
That adjustment could be particularly relevant during the early part of the season, as Pittsburgh builds around a quarterback and coach who already know each other but are now operating in a different organisation and at a different stage of their careers.
NFL.com has reported that Rodgers returned to Pittsburgh partly because the Steelers hired McCarthy, whom he had previously played under for more than a decade in Green Bay. Rodgers has also said that the 2026 season will be his final NFL campaign.
Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Rodgers Reconnect
Jordan’s ESPN appearance carries added significance because of the brothers’ complicated history.
On September 10, Aaron appeared on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast and discussed reconnecting with his family.
Aaron said he first met with his older brother Luke and later met with Jordan. He described the conversations as difficult at times but said he was in a better place personally.
The podcast episode specifically covered Aaron’s family reconciliation and his perspective on the years of distance between the siblings.
Aaron also credited his wife, Brittani, with helping him change his perspective on his relationships and become more open to repairing family connections.
The renewed relationship with Jordan makes his recent public comments about Aaron notable. The brothers had previously spoken about their distance publicly, including during Jordan’s 2016 appearance on The Bachelorette.
The Rodgers Family Estrangement Had Been Public for Years
Aaron’s relationship with his family has been discussed publicly for much of his NFL career.
In the Netflix documentary series Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, Rodgers discussed how his upbringing, changing views and growing fame affected his relationships.
The three-part 2024 documentary explores different stages of Rodgers’ life and career, including his recovery from injury, his views on religion and alternative medicine, and his complicated relationship with fame.
Rodgers previously said that the family conflict went back years and was not simply connected to one particular person or event.
That history made the reported reconciliation with his siblings a significant change in the family’s public story.
What Jordan Rodgers’ Comments Mean for Aaron’s Steelers Season
Jordan’s comments do not change the Steelers’ results, but they offer another perspective on Aaron’s early performance.
Pittsburgh’s 2026 season is also taking place against the backdrop of Rodgers’ stated retirement plans. The veteran quarterback has said this will be his final NFL season, making his return to Pittsburgh part of what he has described as his last run in professional football.
At the same time, the reunion with McCarthy gives the season another storyline. The quarterback and coach are attempting to recreate a working relationship that previously produced major success in Green Bay.
For now, Jordan appears to be giving his brother some patience while the Steelers continue adjusting to their new-look offence.
And, as Jordan himself acknowledged, he is hardly a completely neutral observer.