The Shady Side Of Jordan Rodgers

Jordan Rodgers, a.k.a. the future Mrs. JoJo Fletcher, has kept tongues wagging since  he emerged as the Season 12 winner of The Bachelorette. As the lesser-known footballer of the Rodgers fam—his brother Aaron Rodgers is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback—Jordan's intentions on the reality series have consistently been called into question by viewers. Was he really looking for love or just the limelight? Let's take a closer look.

Like his big bro, Jordan Rodgers dreamed of becoming a big deal in the NFL, but his talent didn't match his ambition. After graduating from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, he bounced from one pro team to the next, getting dropped from the Miami Dolphins and the British Columbia Lions. He quit the game in 2015.

A source told Us Weekly that Rodgers joined The Bachelorette to increase his star power. "He plotted this," the source said. Rodgers reportedly had just the right kind of connections to make it happen, raising eyebrows when he posted a vacation selfie with one of the show's producers before the final rose was granted.

While Rodgers and Fletcher have provided plenty of photographic proof about their post-reality show romance, ghosts of girlfriends past came back to haunt him while the show was airing. Several sources reportedly contacted Reality Steve to share their messy real-life encounters with Rodgers. One lady, who claimed she met him through the high-profile dating app Raya, declared he was a "creep" and that he "wants to be a sports reporter so bad that he would do anything to chase the fame."

After reports surfaced about Rodgers' digital dirt, news spread that he (accidentally?) kept his dating account active while filming the The Bachelorette. He denied rumors that he'd been stepping out on Fletcher as "completely false" in a lengthy statement, writing that as soon as he agreed to do the show, he ceased activity on the dating app and that once his phone was returned to him after production, he cancelled the account for good. "I have not used Raya in any capacity since before the show despite auto pay renewal being active unbeknown [sic] to me," he said. "I would not be dumb enough to breach my contract or do anything related to a dating app to give any insight to what may or may not have happened on the show."

Stoking the flames of fury against Jordan, another ex by the name of Brittany Farrar publicly dragged his name through the mud via an Instagram post that included a rose icon and some nasty words in response to Rodgers on-air discussion about his football career derailing past relationships. "Riding the bench doesn't get in the way of a relationship, but cheating does," Farrar wrote, followed by a slew of heated hashtags: #yourpitchisntperfect, #alwayswantedtobefamous, #dreamscometrue, and #tuneinnextweekformoreBS." Ouch.

Fletcher might be "indifferent to the rumors" surrounding Rodgers' spotlight ambitions, but she can't deny he's been putting himself out there on the entertainment front for a while now. He appeared in a small supporting role in Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) as one of the jocks who compete against the Bellas in an a capella field competition. He's also credited with small roles in The Imposter (2012) and The Gunman (2015).

Even if Rodgers did come into The Bachelorette with stars in his eyes, there's some reason to believe being around Fletcher may have softened him up enough to truly open his heart. A source told Us Weekly the show reportedly gave Jordan a new perspective. "In the beginning, yes, Jordan went on the show for his career," the source said, "But then it 100 percent switched. He was really into JoJo. He definitely fell in love with her."

If the rumors are true about the former quarterback gunning for a sports commentary gig, than his pitch was perfect because Rodgers was hired for a college football analyst position with ESPN's SEC Network starting in August 2016.

While the network's rep denied Rodgers needed his Bachelorette fame to work his way to the top of their list, at least one Bachelorette cast-off is calling foul on that play. Chad Johnson, who is also a fan of hamming it up on social media in shades sans shirt, tweeted a bitter response to news about Rodgers' job: "Looks like @JRodgers11 got what he wanted out of all of this. Way to play your role buddy! #TheBachelorette."

Looks like @JRodgers11 got what he wanted out of all of this. Way to play your role buddy! #TheBachelorette https://t.co/l3Hvevd1I3

— Chad Johnson (@realchadjohnson) July 2, 2016