There's a new star-powered relationship in the sports world to get pulses racing.
NASCAR driver Danica Patrick confirmed she's dating Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after days of rumors about a possible romance.
"Yes, Aaron and I are dating," Patrick told The Associated Press.
Her confirmation comes hours after a photograph showing Patrick and Rodgers seated next to each other at a group dinner Saturday at The Mission restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz., were published by TMZ.
Patrick is a fan of the Chicago Bears _ one of Green Bay's biggest rivals _ but says she told the two-time NFL MVP "a long time ago" that she'd support him as a player.
"Now I am probably going to cheer for the whole team," Patrick told The AP. "Take out the word 'probably.' Now I'm going to cheer for the whole team."
Rodgers and Patrick met at the ESPY Awards in 2012, she revealed.
Their new relationship comes a month after news emerged that Patrick, 35, had ended her relationship with fellow racecar driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after five years of dating.
Meanwhile, Rodgers _ who missed nine games this season due to a broken collarbone _ ended his relationship with actress Olivia Munn last spring after three years together.
The Packers star explained the challenges that come with dating another celebrity in a feature published by ESPN the Magazine last August.
"When you are living out a relationship in the public eye, it's definitely ... it's difficult," Rodgers said. "It has some extra constraints, because you have other opinions about your relationship, how it affects your work and, you know, just some inappropriate connections."
