Rodgers on time apart from Woodley during season: 'A good thing'

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers on time apart from Shailene Woodley during NFL season: 'I think it’s going to be a good thing'

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 9/2/21

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, especially if both hearts involved are insanely busy and invested in their respective careers.

Green Bay Packers quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is the subject of a new Haute Living profile published Thursday (Sept. 2), and the 37-year-old touched briefly on his engagement to actress Shailene Woodley and how they'll navigate the next four months apart—he'll be in Green Bay, she'll be in Los Angeles—during the NFL season.

"It's a busy work time for her, so [my decision] probably came at a good time for both of us to be able to focus on our work," Rodgers said. "I think it's going to be a good thing. I mean, her work was shut down for an entire year, and she's booked a number of projects. She enjoys working and her own routine, which I obviously enjoy, too."

Rodgers' referenced "decision" was to return to the Packers for at least one more season after an offseason standoff with the organization that ended in late July. The Super Bowl champion explained the ordeal to the media with unprecedented candor upon arriving at training camp:

My man @TomPelissero with the question to @AaronRodgers12 that gave us the answer we were all waiting for: 4 pages. Read them all. pic.twitter.com/2tpurKDJ1e
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) July 28, 2021

Rodgers also spoke about the rift and how it was ultimately resolved (for now) with Haute:

"I just woke up one day and said, ‘I think I’m going to play ball.’ I really thought about what I wanted to do, and there are a lot of growth opportunities and good change to be part of in Green Bay, so I decided to come back.
[...]
"It was the right choice. I mean, it felt a little bit strange, because I was gone for the entire off-season. But the first couple of days—the first couple of hours, really—once I saw the guys and was back in the locker room, it was just like last year. It started to feel way more normal."

Rodgers first revealed he was engaged while accepting the NFL MVP award in February:

For the third time in his career, Aaron Rodgers is crowned the NFL's Most Valuable Player.

A bad man. pic.twitter.com/3hQPB00HOf
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) February 7, 2021

While Rodgers didn't name his fiancée then, Woodley confirmed their engagement with The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon later in February:

More recently, in July, Woodley told Entertainment Tonight that there was "no wedding planning happening" and the couple felt "no rush" to get married. Wedding planning will probably be more difficult once the Packers open their season against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 12.

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