Vikings Alternate Offseason Plan Looked Brilliant on Sunday
Turn back the clock to March or April, and you might remember the Aaron Rodgers saga regarding the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings’ alternate offseason plan looked fantastic on Sunday, offering fans a glimpse of why it might pay off in a big way in 2025.
Rodgers reportedly campaigned through back channels to join the Vikings for the 2025 season, an option deliberated by Minnesota’s brass but ultimately tabled.
Minnesota already had J.J. McCarthy lined up for QB1 duty, but as it turned out, Rodgers looked pretty damn brilliant on Sunday in a win over his former team, the New York Jets.
Steelers Win a Thriller with Vikings’ Offseason Plan B
Rodgers turned back the clock — kind of — in Week 1.
Aaron Rodgers, Tied to Vikings in the Offseason, Delivers 4 TDs in Win
In a game with a premature playoff feel, the Steelers squeaked by the Jets on Sunday afternoon. And the Jets weren’t the hapless Jets — they played impressively.
Rodgers delivered 4 passing touchdowns, with no interceptions and 244 passing yards. His team’s rushing offense never took off, so Pittsburgh relied on the 41-year-old to distribute the rock through the air, mainly to wide receivers DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin.
Helped by a game-winning pass breakup, courtesy of Jalen Ramsey, also a Steelers’ offseason addition, Rodgers and Pittsburgh prevailed 34-32. The Associated Press noted, “Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock with a vintage performance in his Steelers debut that featured big throws, no turnovers and a late victory over his former team.”
“Rodgers threw four touchdown passes — two in a 50-second span in the second half — and Chris Boswell kicked a go-ahead, career-long 60-yard field goal with 1:03 remaining to lead Pittsburgh to a 34-32 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. But this one had to be a little more satisfying, especially after he was released by the Jets and new coach Aaron Glenn in the offseason.”
The Man Often Looked Rickety, But It Didn’t Matter
The strange part of Rodgers’ afternoon? He looked wildly immobile in the pocket, a shell of his former self, devoid of locomotion. But the arm was still there, evidenced by the 4 passing touchdowns, which the Steelers vitally needed.
He banked a sweet 62.7 ESPN QBR and 136.7 passer rating. Among 30 NFL quarterbacks from Thursday to Sunday night, Rodgers’ EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric adjusting wins added, ranked 10th.
His immobility somehow didn’t matter.
Vikings Fans Get a Peek at “the Other Guy” on Monday Night
Meanwhile, Vikings fans will watch their Golden Boy, J.J. McCarthy, take his first NFL snaps on Monday night.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell admitted doing the diligence on Rodgers’ free agency this offseason, claiming to have a personal friendship with Rodgers and an open line of communication at all times. Some purple fans, especially on Facebook, were adamant about signing Rodgers for a one-year trial, calling upon nostalgia from the Brett Favre era in 2009.
In the end, Minnesota declined Rodgers’ seductive offer in favor of McCarthy, who will experience the bright lights of NFL primetime on Monday night at Soldier Field.
Sam Darnold’s Fumble, Daniel Jones’ Week 1 Stardom
Other men factored into Minnesota’s offseason equation at quarterback, too.
The team could’ve re-signed Sam Darnold, who dimed 35 passing touchdowns en route to Minnesota’s 14-3 record. It did not, and he later signed with the Seattle Seahawks. On Sunday, his debut wound up brutal, fumbling the ball with the game on the line.
And in Indianapolis, Daniel Jones played like a Pro Bowler. Minnesota scooped Jones from midseason free agency last season as a contingency plan for Darnold. Like Darnold, Jones chose a different team where he could win a QB1 job.
Steelers-Themed Media on Rodgers
Behind the Steel Curtain‘s Jarrett Bailey weighed in on Rodgers and Pittsburgh, on the whole, Sunday night.
He wrote, “Rodgers was dealing right from the first snap, leading the Steelers on an opening-series touchdown that featured two third-and-long conversions and culminated with a touchdown pass to Ben Skowronek to put the Steelers up 7-3. It goes without saying that it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Steelers, though.”
“The good? Aaron Rodgers looked like his former self. Whenever the Steelers needed to have a big play, he provided it and gave the Steelers their first 30-point Week 1 performance since 2016. DK Metcalf looked explosive, as well, catching four passes for 83 yards. And while the defense as a whole was brutal, T.J. Watt lived in the backfield and had several tackles for loss. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith deserves a lot of credit, as well – he called a terrific game, got creative when needed, and dialed up a fair amount of deep looks.”
The Steelers face Darnold’s Seahawks this weekend.
Bailey added, “As already noted, the defense — woof. The Jets had 394 total yards of offense and averaged over six yards per play. If that’s how this unit looks against the Jets, God help them when they play the Ravens, Bengals, and Bills. The Jets ran the ball at will, and Fields looked comfortable throwing the ball all game — a lot needs to be cleaned up on that side of the ball.”
“With all that said, the Steelers are 1-0 for the second straight year, and the offense showed they can carry the load when needed. They’ll take on the Seattle Seahawks next week in the home opener.”
If one week is a sufficient sample, Rodgers would’ve provided at least some theatrics in Minnesota if the Vikings had taken the plunge back in March or April.
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