As the former NFL player, 28, detailed in his upcoming memoir, “The First Time,” the couple previously broke up in August 2019.

“To put it very frank, after the show, we realized we weren’t communicating as well as we once did,” Underwood revealed, according to an excerpt obtained by People. “Nobody was forcing us to talk about real things going on, so we let a lot of things build up.”

Underwood added, “in a weird way, I kind of broke up with myself.”

After agreeing to take time apart, Underwood and Randolph, 24, had a change of heart.

“It was a very real and very emotional breakup, but it was also very good to be real and emotional because it forced us to have conversations and move on,” Underwood shared. “Now, we know the flags to look for. When issues start to creep up, it’s like, let’s go have a conversation.”

Underwood, who recently tested positive for coronavirus, said he and Randolph are “trying to be more transparent and honest” with each other. As for a possible engagement, it appears to be on his mind.

“If she were here, she’d nudge me for saying this, but I think an engagement is something we’d both like to see this year,” he said.

Prior to his stint as “The Bachelor,” Underwood dated gymnast Aly Raisman. He also appeared on Becca Kufrin‘s season of “The Bachelorette” in 2018.