Aaron Rodgers to Vikings Heats Up
It probably won’t materialize because the Minnesota Vikings have J.J. McCarthy on the roster, but the who’s who of NFL reporting insisted this weekend that Aaron Rodgers to his former rival was in play.
Aaron Rodgers to Vikings Heats Up
NFL free agency kicks off Monday with “legal tampering,” and after the Las Vegas Raiders swung a trade for quarterback Geno Smith on Friday night, Sam Darnold became the favorite to land in Seattle with the Seahawks.
That carousel spin resulted in further Rodgers-to-Vikings rumors if Minnesota does not re-sign Daniel Jones, who spent the last several weeks of the 2024 regular season on Minnesota’s practice squad. Jones remains the odds-on favorite to replace Darnold in the Twin Cities as McCarthy insurance, but if that plan falls through, Rodgers is evidently a Plan B or C.
NFL Network‘s Mike Garafolo, who has a sturdy reputation and does not pedal clickbait, tweeted Saturday morning: “Last night appears to have been the start of some QB chaos. If Daniel Jones doesn’t remain with the Vikings, that will make it even more chaotic, as Aaron Rodgers could be in play in Minnesota, which would then force the Giants to turn to Plan C. Lots to play out next week.”
Here’s his quarterback efficiency ranking in the last five years:
Aaron Rodgers,
EPA+CPOE,
NFL Ranking:
2020 = 1st
2021 = 1st
2022 = 20th
2023 = n/a
2024 = 22nd
Vikings fans would merely hope that Rodgers returned to 2021 form if the rumors came to fruition. Otherwise, the former Green Bay Packer will turn 42 in December and is no longer the nostalgic version of himself.
The fit would also be strange because of McCarthy’s presence on the roster. McCarthy tore his meniscus last summer after Minnesota drafted him in Round 1, and most onlookers expect him to ascend to his rightful QB1 throne before too long. Adding Rodgers, who is about 20 years older than McCarthy, would throw a wrench into McCarthy’s climb to QB1.
It’s also worth noting that McCarthy and Rodgers’ personalities are markedly different. McCarthy is fueled by inner peace and humanitarianism, whereas Rodgers prefers a football team centered around his persona and constant conspiracy theories.
If Minnesota had no McCarthy attached to the roster for the future, perhaps exploring Rodgers for a year could make sense. However, that’s not the reality, and adding Rodgers might turn the Twin Cities into a circus, potentially detrimental to McCarthy’s development. Rodgers’ personality consumes everything in a locker room and on a football team, and that just doesn’t seem like the Vikings’ current leadership’s way of conducting business.
Last month, Hall of Famer Jared Allen endorsed Rodgers to Minnesota. “Reluctantly, yes. Only because I experienced it with Brett,” Allen told Kay Adams in February when she asked if he’d support Rodgers in purple. He likened Rodgers to Brett Favre, whose career has totally resembled Rodgers’.
“And it’s creepy how it’s the same path, right?” Allen said about Rodgers’ career arc compared to Favre’s. “Brett went to the Jets, everybody thought he was done, he came to us in 2009, and he had fire. He was hungry, and we went out and destroyed the North. … I’m not opposed.”
Rodgers can talk with the Vikings as early as now if extension talks with Jones stall. Because the Jets notified him of his impending release, he is free to begin those conversations. The 41-year-old doesn’t have to wait until Monday like most NFL free agents.
He has produced an unholy stat line of 59 passing touchdowns to just 11 interceptions against the Vikings in his 21-season career.
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 Vikings 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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