While the Minnesota Vikings may be Aaron Rodgers’ preferred destination, it doesn’t seem like the franchise will aggressively pursue the quarterback.
On a Sunday episode of “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicated the Vikings won’t sign the 41-year-old, whom the New York Jets released on March 12.
“Teams are waiting this out, waiting on Rodgers. The feeling is there’s not just a money consideration here. There’s fit, there’s surroundings, all those things. The Minnesota Vikings are sort of on the periphery here,” Fowler said (h/t Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek). “Sources tell me there that it’s possible they get involved, but the feeling this week has been probably not. They want to develop J.J. McCarthy.”
On Saturday, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Michael Silver and Alec Lewis reported Rodgers wants to sign with the Vikings, but head coach Kevin O’Connell will decide whether they do.
Assuming O’Connell tells Rodgers the Vikings are rolling with McCarthy, he could sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants. However, The Athletic’s report added he could also retire instead. Regardless, expect Rodgers to keep Pittsburgh and New York waiting.
“I’m told from sources that Rodgers does have standing offers from the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants,” Fowler said. “I checked with the source from one of those teams about a timeline. I got back a text with the Webster’s dictionary of the word enigma, and so that’s kind of the feeling right now.”
Avoiding Rodgers makes sense for the Vikings. If they signed him, it could stunt McCarthy’s growth. The 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft sat out his rookie season with a torn meniscus.
More importantly, the four-time MVP may be declining. In 17 games with the Jets in 2024, he tossed 28 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions and posted a below-average 48 QBR.
It doesn’t seem Rodgers is the missing piece for the Vikings, who went 14-3 in 2024. If 22-year-old McCarthy proves to be a star, Minnesota should remain in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt in 2025.
