There’s a New Aaron Rodgers Twist for Vikings
Aaron Rodgers will probably eventually sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the rest of his career probably won’t matter for the Minnesota Vikings.
The Aaron Rodgers saga for the Vikings remains alive with a very faint heartbeat.
But according to a recent theory from ESPN, Rodgers could, in theory, be waiting to sign with a new team because he’s tracking J.J. McCarthy’s health and progression in Minnesota.
It’s an out-there idea, yet the hypothesis is well, out there, courtesy of Jeremy Fowler.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler Wonders if Aaron Rodgers Is Waiting on a Vikings Injury
Fowler spoke on KFAN this week and revealed the Rodgers morsel about the possibility of monitoring McCarthy’s recovery status.
“I can’t say he’s ‘rooting’ for McCarthy to get hurt, it’s just sort of a back-of-mind feeling of that maybe he’s sort of waiting that out. It’s hard with Aaron Rodgers because he’s so unpredictable and this is his first foray into free agency, so I can’t even begin to get into his mind,” Fowler speculated.
“Look, he’s a smart guy. He sees a team with a good offense, a really good offensive coach and nine dome games guaranteed. That’s pretty attractive to him, I would assume. I still think, you know, you talk to people in Pittsburgh, they say they remain optimistic, they’re going to wait a little while longer for Aaron Rodgers, they’ve been in contact with Aaron Rodgers. It still points to Pittsburgh, but until it happens, you at least wonder if he’s waiting something out like that.”
If the situation materialized, McCarthy, who missed all of 2024 with a meniscus tear, would apparently get hurt again, and Rodgers would swoop in as the conquering hero.
Through backchannels, Rodgers has made it rather obvious this offseason that he’d like to play for the Vikings in 2025.
The Man Must Really Want a Piece of Minnesota
Of course, Rodgers has not stated what Fowler advanced as a rumor. It’s just a hot take.
But the fact remains that Rodgers has not signed anywhere in the NFL through three months of free agency, so to Fowler’s point, the man is waiting on something.
If he were, indeed, “waiting on a McCarthy injury,” it would prove his utmost intentions to play for Kevin O’Connell, almost to a morbid or diabolical fault.
If Not the Vikings … Probably the Steelers
When the dust settles, Rodgers will likely sign in Pittsburgh and merely hope his mission goes better than last year with the New York Jets.
Some pointed to Rodgers’ raw volume numbers in 2024 — 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions — and claimed the soon-to-be 42-year-old still has the juice as a top-tier quarterback. In reality, Rodgers finished last season ranked 22nd per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric that measures expected wins added, ranking in the same neighborhood as Bryce Young and Daniel Jones.
Maybe this time will be different in Pittsburgh — if he ever signs.
Rodgers Should Just Wait for an NFL Injury, in General
Moreover, if Fowler is correct and Rodgers is waiting for a McCarthy injury, he shouldn’t stop at McCarthy.
An NFL quarterback is absolutely guaranteed to fall injured before November or so, and if Rodgers has the conquering hero mindset, he should extend his free-agent procrastination. Some team will need him.
The Steelers Are … Desperate?
CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo claimed this week that the Steelers are “desperate” for Rodgers after failing to secure a decent QB1 solution since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
DeArdo wrote, “Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers are acting desperate for Aaron Rodgers: Can you blame them? The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t exactly had top-flight quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger left the team after the 2021 season. That is the main reason why the Steelers are in their current predicament: waiting to see if a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers will sign with them at some point before the start of the 2025 regular season.”
“It may reek of desperation — CBSSports.com’s Cody Benjamin wrote the proud franchise is mired in drama and mediocrity — but it’s still, somehow, the most worthwhile option to pursue. Coming off another winning, albeit unsatisfying, season, Pittsburgh feels it is an elite quarterback away from contending for the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in 15 years.”
It’s worth noting that the Steelers are the betting market’s favorite for Rodgers’ services.
DeArdo added, “While their roster isn’t perfect, it does include Pro Bowl wideout DK Metcalf, a young but promising offensive line and a defense that boasts three perennial Pro Bowlers in TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Heyward. If Rodgers signs with Pittsburgh, it won’t be that hard for him to be better than the four quarterbacks who were tasked with trying to replace Roethlisberger.”
“One of those quarterbacks, Mason Rudolph (who was re-signed this past offseason after one year with the Titans), is currently in position to start for Pittsburgh if Rodgers ends up not signing.”
Rodgers hasn’t quarterbacked a winning team in four years.
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