NFL Insider Puts Nail in Coffin of One Vikings Rumor
For a bit over a month, Aaron Rodgers utterly dominated the Minnesota Vikings rumor mill.
NFL Insider Puts Nail in Coffin of One Vikings Rumor
It was him — and everything else secondary. That’s also known as just the way Rodgers likes it.
But thanks to NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport on Monday, folks can, once and for all, put any and all Rodgers-themed rumors for the Vikings to bed. He will not join the purple team, barring an extreme emergency, where Rodgers remains unemployed months from now.
Ian Rapoport Says “Nope” to Aaron Rodgers Signing with Vikings
Rapoport has updated the Rodgers Sweepstakes along the way. From the jump, Rodgers’ 2025 employment felt like a faux three-horse race between the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Vikings. Most sensible purple fans never entertained Rodgers in the Twin Cities too seriously, mainly because Minnesota drafted J.J. McCarthy for the QB1 task one year ago.
Tabling the Rodgers-Vikings rumors for good, Rapoport said Monday, “The Vikings were very clear that Aaron Rodgers, as of right now, is not an option for them. They’re moving full speed ahead with J.J. McCarthy. So, if Aaron Rodgers is gonna play football in 2025, it is going to be for the Steelers.”
The Cleveland Browns need a quarterback, but for some reason, they never scooted in Rodgers’ rumor mill.
A Long-Lasting Flirtation
The New York Jets cut ties with Rodgers a couple of months ago, and since, onlookers have maintained a “Where will he sign?” attitude. Rodgers won the NFL MVP award in 2020 and 2021, and some hold out hope that he could return to that form at age 41.
In fact, credible reporting has suggested since March that Rodgers personally wanted to join the Vikings’ roster. There’s just no room with McCarthy in the house, and it seems rather un-Rodgers-like to accept a QB2 job.
But make no mistake, the flirtation engulfed the month of March.
J.J. McCarthy Fulfilling the Plan
In late April 2024, Minnesota entered the draft needing a quarterback, and the masses expected it to depart the event with Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., or J.J. McCarthy.
Maye flew off the board at pick No. 3 to the New England Patriots, the Atlanta Falcons shocked everybody by drafting Penix Jr., and Minnesota traded up a smidgen to get their man — McCarthy.
Of course, the youngster tore his meniscus four months later, disappointingly ruining his entire rookie season. Sam Darnold took the reins and guided the Vikings to 14 wins, but after he crumbled on two humongous late-season stages, most knew McCarthy would take the QB1 job this offseason.
And here we are.
Rodgers only briefly complicated the plan, and Minnesota actually explored what a Rodgers contract might look like. Ultimately, they said “no thanks,” per Rapoport, and committed to McCarthy.
Brett Favre Parallels
Why was Rodgers as a Viking a big fuss in the first place? Simple — Brett Favre forged this exact path about 17 years ago. He left Green Bay after a few offseasons of uncertainly, turned to the New York Jets for a season, and signed in Minnesota for the 2009 campaign.
Folks began seeing the parallels to Favre and Rodgers in 2023 when Rodgers signed in New York. And because Favre cleared this lane to Minnesota in 2009, many thought history would repeat itself.
But it did not, and it will not.
The Steelers or Bust
The Steelers are Rodgers’ last chance to find a 2025 employer — if he doesn’t stay unsigned while waiting for a summer or early-season quarterback injury to arise.
Some are frustrated about it, too. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Jason Mackey wrote this week, “It could be about a month from beginning to end, from the time reports emerged regarding real Steelers interest in Aaron Rodgers to … for the love of all things holy, please let this saga end this week. Yeah, it’s felt much, much longer. One way or another, this needs to be done.”
Mackey also recognized that Rodgers in Pittsburgh could work: “Surrounded by the right team, I also think we saw enough from Rodgers over the final 10 games of last season — 18 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 97.0 passer rating — that he could have something left. Which is why I don’t understand the possibility of the Steelers drafting a quarterback at No. 21 overall.”
For Rodgers, it’s sign with the Steelers, hang around unemployed until called upon months down the road by a quarterback-needy team, or retire.
Minnesota doesn’t factor into his equation.
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