For some odd reason, the future of Aaron Rodgers has been a major NFL topic in every single offseason for more than half a decade, and it just keeps repeating itself once the calendar hits February. Unlike the last few years, the Vikings were caught in the crossfire this time.
The Annoying Vikings Rumor Wonโt Die
Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and wide receiver Davante Adams (17) walk on the field after the Jets win over the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
During free agency, when backup quarterback options joined clubs left and right, the Vikings still had only J.J. McCarthy, coming off a major knee injury, and Brett Rypien, a QB3 under contract. Because they wouldnโt publicly commit to their sophomore passer, folks turned that into โthe Vikings donโt trust McCarthy,โ despite them watching Pro Bowler Sam Darnold exit the building on a bogus three-year deal.Then, Rodgers to the Vikings was the main news item for a week or two between the first wave of free agency and the draft. That was primarily driven by a couple of reporters who just refused to let it die, even after some of the other big-time news-breakers like Tom Pelissero said it wonโt happen.
At some point, even those people had to concede, and the storyline disappeared more quietly than it had arrived. The Vikings still havenโt announced McCarthy as the starter, and they wonโt for weeks and months to come, but suddenly, folks still just agreed that itโs obviously his job.Well, it has been a fun six weeks, but Rodgers is back in the news cycle, or the rumor mill. The reason for that is one man from ESPN, called Jeremy Fowler, who appeared on the Dan Patrick Show a few days ago, and he recycled the old talker that Rodgers was still waiting to sign elsewhere because he preferred the Vikings.
โThereโs some teams Iโve talked to, they are still kind of wondering, like, is he just waiting out the Vikings, you know? Because the Vikings would be an ideal scenario, one of the best play callers in the league in head coach Kevin OโConnell, nine dome games, youโre guaranteed nine dome games per year,โ Fowler suggested.He then added: โThereโs some element of that, but I checked in with the Vikings, I still donโt expect that. Theyโre moving forward with J.J. McCarthy. So he really has no other option, other than Pittsburgh or retiring.โ
Itโs undeniable that the Vikings are a dream situation for any quarterback. Kevin OโConnell has made bad quarterbacks look good and average quarterbacks look great. The presence of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson helps, too, and so does one of the best defenses in all of football. Furthermore, the offensive line has been fixed. The roster is competitive, and the coaching staff is excellent.
Just last week, it was revealed that Caleb Williams wanted to play for the purple NFC North franchise rather than the Bears ahead of being drafted first overall 13 months ago. All it took was a conversation with OโConn
