Packers: Aaron Rodgers reveals journey to self-love

In recent years of the NFL, players (including Aaron Rodgers) have opened up about mental health and the toll the mind takes playing the sport.

It is easy for players to not feel their best when they are constantly scrutinized on social media and by reporters. Former Green Bay Packers wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling has talked before about his issues with fans in the NFL.

On a podcast with entrepreneur Aubrey Marcus, Aaron Rodgers recently opened up about his use of psychoactive drug Ayahuasca and how it helped his issues with mental health, stating:

"“That’s what ayahuasca did for me, was help me see how to unconditionally love myself. It’s only in that unconditional self love, that then I’m able to truly be able to unconditionally love others. And what better way to work on my mental health than to have an experience like that?”"

Rodgers later went on to talk about how his use with the drug helped him heal relationships within the Packers organization. Not only with the Packers front office, who he had public issues with during the 2021 season, but also with his teammates and coaches.

"“The greatest gift I can give my teammates, in my opinion, is to be able to show up and to be someone who can model unconditional love to them…They (his teammates) won’t care about what you say until they know how much you care.”"

Building strong relationships is something that Aaron Rodgers has always tried to do during his tenure in Green Bay; not many former teammates have something bad to say about Rodgers.

In the past, Rodgers has frequently talked about self-love and how viewing yourself is more important that how others view you.

Over the years, Rodgers has battled the media and their portrayal of sports figures, constantly criticizing how they “twist” words that players use and turn people against them, and rarely giving interviews outside of the required NFL post-game interviews and the “Pat McAfee Show”.

In a masculine environment such as the NFL, it is satisfying to hear a player as successful as Aaron Rodgers speaking in a very vulnerable matter, and allowing fans to look into his personal life and struggles.