Actress Shailene Woodley and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' surprise romance and sudden engagement didn't just shock the public. It also surprised their inner circle, Peoplereports. Rodgers' friends were under
the impression that the couple, who got engaged just months into dating, were casual. Rodgers had been in a two-year relationship with Danica Patrick that ended in July 2020. Woodley said she was single in April 2020.
"It was a surprise that they got so close so quickly," a source close to Rodgers said. "I mean, it really felt like one day he was with Danica Patrick, and then suddenly he was with Shailene. It happened super fast."
The source said that those close to Rodgers initially saw him dating Woodley as a temporary fling. "It was so fast that at first, we thought she was just a rebound," the source said. "There was no way this could be so serious. Everyone thought it was a casual thing because that's what he was telling everyone, even when it was clearly not a casual thing."
"Now we realize that it was clearly a lot more serious than they told anyone," the source continued. "All this goes to show that this must be a very special relationship for him and for her. So everyone wishes them happiness."
People's reporting comes after E! spoke to a source who gave more detail about how their romance began and progressed.
"They can't wait to get married and they want it to happen soon," E!'s source said, adding that there was a great spark between them, from the very start: "They had a very intense connection from the beginning," the source said. "They both knew early on that it was something special and different from what they had experienced in other relationships. It's a quick engagement, but for those that know them, it didn't come as a surprise."
"They have spent the entire fall together and lived together throughout," the source said, noting that all their time together wasn't long distance. "She is very supportive of his career and embraced his life in Green Bay. Even though she has her own career and life, she wanted to be there with him. Over the next year, they plan to spend some time traveling and enjoying a warmer climate."