Did the Vikings Problem Just Go Away?
Ted Schwerzler
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For years, the NFC North division has run through Green Bay, Wisconsin. Before Aaron Rodgers, it was Brett Favre. Despite some success intermittently, Minnesota has often been faced with good Packers quarterbacks. Now, Rodgers seems gone for good.
Although he no longer acts as a hobbit and participates in some sort of darkness retreat, the Aaron Rodgers news front couldn’t be more non-existent. A trade to the New York Jets seems set, but compensation is clearly the hold-up. Jordan Love is set to take over for Matt LaFleur, but the best news right now for Minnesota fans is that there has been silence from Rodgers.
Did the Vikings Problem Just Go Away?
There were times during Brett Favre’s career when he was obnoxious and a nuisance. While Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been involved in a sexting scandal or stolen welfare money from individuals, he’s constantly been an unwelcome figure whenever a microphone is placed in front of him. As this lull takes place waiting for his eventual swap to the East Coast, nothing could be more appreciated than the relative silence akin to another retreat into darkness.
On the football side, Minnesota sees their division weaken during a year when they’ll need some help. Coming off of an NFC North division title, there is enough turnover on Kevin O’Connell’s roster that a repeat will be difficult. Pairing that with the reality that Minnesota often created luck and good fortune, they’ll have their hands full when it comes to avoiding regression in 2023. That said, Green Bay slides down in the pecking order, and there is nothing to be mad about.
For the Vikings, Detroit and Chicago look a bit more formidable coming into the year. Justin Fields still needs to develop rapport with whatever skill players he’s eventually handed, but it seems the Bears signal-caller has begun to take significant strides forward. Jared Goff won’t suddenly become a superstar, but Dan Campbell has the Lions trending in the right direction. It remains to be seen what Love can do for Green Bay, but with no one to throw the ball to, there will be plenty of bumps in the road.
There won’t ever be a time when another rivalry takes over what the Vikings and Packers have together, but even in this time of uncertainty for Minnesota, they could remain on top. No matter how obnoxious he is, losing a future Hall of Famer will never be a good thing if you’re a Packers loyalist. Green Bay has a lot of learning to do now that the position under center faces instability for the first time in literal decades. Rodgers is gone, and that’s a great thing. Now, how much capitalizing can the Vikings do?
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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