Not too long ago it felt like we were amidst an Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, which NFL team was thinking of putting together a trade package for the Green Bay Packers. Now two seasons later, it’s deja vu all over again.
There are still enough desperate teams out there that are very interested in landing Rodgers. With that come rumors of where he’s going to land and who’s going to drum up the money to bring him in.
The challenge this offseason compared to the last time he was looking for a new team is that he was very much interested in playing just about wherever. Now, he knows where he wants to play and could ultimately retire if he doesn’t land with his preferred team.
Here’s the latest on Aaron Rodgers and the rumors about the teams interested in signing him.
Are the New York Jets second-guessing letting Aaron Rodgers go?
Aaron Glenn’s first order of business, seemingly before the ink was even dry on his new contract to be the coach of the Jets, was to inform Rodgers he wasn’t welcomed back in the locker room. It shouldn’t be a surprise as Glenn probably had no interest in his first head coaching job marred by Rodgers and his antics.
But could they realistically be second guessing letting Rodgers go? I doubt it. The Jets got their quarterback in Justin Fields and they’re full on putting Rodgers in the past.
According to Mike Florio, the Jets were able to avoid taking the entire $49 million dead cap hit at once by releasing him instead of trading him. They managed to split it across two seasons.
So even from a financial standpoint, it wouldn’t have benefitted the Jets anymore to keep him around.
Vikings QB depth chart if they pull the trigger on Rodgers in the 11th hour
The Minnesota Vikings have been entertaining bringing Rodgers in for one final curtain call. It makes sense for a couple of reasons. They could get him on a discount deal that’s cheaper than paying Sam Darnold.
They also get a veteran that can help better develop J.J. McCarthy, especially coming off an injury. There’s no better person to lean on than Rodgers for a player like McCarthy. The Vikings also get a proven quarterback that could keep them competitive.
While Rodgers looked like a fraction of what made him a Green Bay Packers legend this past season, he still has enough to be serviceable. The good thing is the Vikings offensive weapons are much better than the Jets.
I think if the Vikings are serious about getting Rodgers, it would make not bringing Darnold back a little better. Darnold, for as bad as he looked in the final two games, was the perfect quarterback for Kevin O’Connell.
I don’t doubt O’Connell can get McCarthy to contribute like he did with Darnold, but I also don’t think he wants the pressure of having to win right now with McCarthy if he doesn’t have to. Rodgers makes it a little easier to transition to McCarthy, whether he plays well or not.
Steelers are still in the mix for Rodgers as quarterback options are limited
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ options are limited. They might have been keen on bringing back Justin Fields, but their indecisiveness cost them Fields. It also means their options are so limited it could result in Russell Wilson or Rodgers as their only options.
And as a contingency plan, Mason Rudolph is back, just like we all expected (cue sarcasm). The Steelers’ revolving door of quarterbacks is getting out of hand and now that the fate of the 2025 season could be in the hands of Rodgers or Wilson, it seems like the team is going backwards rather than progressing.
Rodgers is probably not the best option for the Steelers. The only reason I would see this being the case is if Russell Wilson heads to New York, leaving the Steelers with Rodgers as the only option – or Rudolph.
There’s a reason Rodgers is being sought after, though. Maybe he could be the answer the Steelers need to finally win a playoff game. Yeah, all those winning seasons and not a single playoff win since 2016.