Lainey Wilson engaged to former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Devlin “Duck” Hodges

Country music star Lainey Wilson is engaged to former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges.

Wilson posted photos of the engagement to Instagram, captioning them “4x4xU forever,” a reference to one of the songs off her newest album “Whirlwind.”

The couple made their debut as a couple at the 2023 ACM Awards. The two sparked rumors shortly before that after Wilson, while in Pittsburgh on Luke Combs’ world tour, wore a Hodges jersey. In an interview, Wilson said they had been dating long before that, waiting about two and a half years before going public.

“Duck” was briefly a fan favorite in 2019 when Ben Roethlisberger was injured. Hodges took over for a struggling Mason Rudolph, and Steelers fans rallied behind him. With his quirky nickname, Hodges inspired memes and plenty of Strip District t-shirts during his time in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers released Hodges in 2020 and he was later signed by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. He went on to play for the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League until his retirement in 2022.

Wilson was last in Pittsburgh for her Country’s Cool Again Tour last fall. She recently announced her Whirlwind Tour, but a stop in Pittsburgh isn’t on the schedule. “Whirlwind” was nominated for best country album at the 2025 Grammys, where she joined Jacob Collier for a tribute to the late Quincy Jones.

Lainey Wilson is one of country music’s biggest stars nowadays, and Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges is one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ greatest folktales over the last decade. The couple’s private left has been kept, well, pretty private over the four years they have dated.

Hodges became a Steelers fan favorite during the 2019 season when he was thrust into action after injuries in the room dwindled it down to the former Samford quarterback.

After a week at the Grammy’s for Wilson, the couple announced they are engaged on Instagram.

Wilson had dropped hints over the last few months for Hodges to pop the question. Hodges, in due time, responded on her Instagram last week that he wondered how Wilson ‘would look in white,’ fueling speculation about a possible engagement.

Hodges signed with the Steelers after a minicamp tryout in 2019. He earned some reps throughout training camp of that year, and impressed enough to find his way onto the practice squad.

In 2019, Hodges went 3-3 in six starts while throwing for 1063 yards and five touchdowns to eight interceptions. He played in eight games for the Steelers. Hodges spent 2019 and 2020 with the Steelers before heading to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. He has not played in the NFL since his time with the Rams.