Jets Do the Thing to Fuel Vikings Rumor Mill
On Super Bowl weekend, credible reporting suggested the New York Jets would not retain Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 campaign. The new leadership duo of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn evidently want a fresh, Rodgers-less start in The Big Apple.
Jets Do the Thing to Fuel Vikings Rumor Mill
A few days later, that reporting was confirmed.
“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” the Jets’ brass officially revealed on Thursday. “It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”
Therefore, Rodgers will presumably hit the open market and can begin talking to other NFL teams as soon as now. And because of what Brett Favre did 15 years ago — played for the Green Bay Packers, became disgruntled, departed for the New York Jets, and later joined the Vikings — Rodgers’ exit from New York will impact the Vikings rumor mill.
Despite employing a quarterback two decades younger than Rodgers in J.J. McCarthy, some Vikings fans seriously believe Rodgers in purple and gold would be wise. Social media is rampant with Rodgers-to-Minnesota speculation, and often excited about it.
Facebook, especially, is an extreme haven for pro-Rodgers theories regarding the Vikings.
Of course, the theories were boosted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier this week. “My guess would be that he ends up playing,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show Monday. “He’s gonna want to continue playing. I would guess he’ll want to do it at a place that wants him. Here’s a guy that, I think he’s made more money than any NFL player in history right now. So that gives him the ability to sit back and be selective about what he does and doesn’t want to do.”
Then, he delivered the Vikings nugget. “It’s a fluid, moving thing. Is Minnesota gonna lose Sam Darnold, or are they gonna bring him back?” Schefter rhetorically asked.
Moreover, Draft Kings posted these odds for Rodgers’ next team:
- Pittsburgh Steelers: +200
- Las Vegas Raiders: +300
- San Francisco 49ers: +350
- Minnesota Vikings: +750
- Indianapolis Colts: +800
If Minnesota had no McCarthy for the future, perhaps signing Rodgers for a year could make sense. However, that’s not the reality, and onboarding Rodgers might turn the Twin Cities into a circus, potentially detrimental to McCarthy’s development.
On the whole, with Rodgers’ release almost official, don’t expect the Vikings-themed rumors to die until Rodgers signs elsewhere or retires.
The Favre parallel is just too intense for some to resist.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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