The Minnesota Vikings have made their final decision on free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero:
“The Vikings have rejected multiple trade calls on J.J. McCarthy, telling other teams they’re moving forward with him as their quarterback, sources say.
“The team plans to add a veteran. But they’re not pursuing Aaron Rodgers at this time. McCarthy now enters the offseason as QB1.”
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Pelissero adds: “The Vikings continue to explore multiple options for a veteran QB addition, whether through free agency or a trade. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers’ options are now focused on the Steelers and Giants.”
It’s made sense all along that the Vikings would stick with McCarthy, their first-round draft choice in 2024. However, that didn’t stop the rumor mill from connecting Minnesota to Rodgers, the 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time Most Valuable Player, and one-time Super Bowl champion.
Rodgers is coming off an age-41 2024 season in which he completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions across all 17 games. While his numbers were solid, he led the New York Jets to a 5-12 record in a massively disappointing season.
The Jets officially moved on from Rodgers early in the offseason, making him one of the top free agents. However, his market hasn’t exactly moved fast, and it appears he’s now down to two teams unless a surprise one enters the race late.
At this stage of his career, Rodgers hasn’t proved he can lead an organization to the playoffs. Rodgers’ last winning season came in 2021 with the Green Bay Packers, when he rattled off his third consecutive 13-3 season as a starter.
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The Steelers and Giants are both teams who greatly need quarterback help, though, so it would make sense for either to take a chance on the future Hall of Famer late in his career. According to a recent report by NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Steelers have been optimistic on their chances to land the veteran signal caller.
“One league source told me earlier today that the Steelers ‘feel like they’re getting closer’ on their quarterback situation,” Anderson wrote on X. “In their mind, that optimism pertained to Aaron Rodgers. Let’s see if that sentiment is mutually held towards the consummation of a deal, at some point.”
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