Believe it or not, the Minnesota Vikings may come to regret not signing Aaron Rodgers down the line. I cannot believe I just typed that sentence – perhaps a sign I should turn back while I still can – but stick with me here. If there's one thing Rodgers has proven during his brief Pittsburgh stint so far, it's that he is open to mentoring a young quarterback (in this case rookie Will Howard). Assuming he actually does intend to retire at the end of this season, wouldn't it be more beneficial if he were helping a first-round pick like JJ McCarthy, rather than Howard who is likely a career backup at best?
Rodgers is a headache and a half. His appearances on the Pat McAfee routinely dive into conspiracy theories and politics, two topics a Hall-of-Fame quarterback is not qualified to speak on. The Steelers lone season with Rodgers will not end well, if only because they are an AFC Wild Card team at best. Rodgers loves Mike Tomlin, but as we saw with the Jets, he doesn't handle losing well. There's a good chance the Steelers lose at least seven games this season, and I'm being generous.
Aaron Rodgers has been the perfect mentor for Steelers rookie Will Howard
That being said, Rodgers has, by most accounts, been an ideal teammate and mentor to Howard so far in OTAs. The Ohio State product has gushed about learning from a quarterback destined for Canton, while Rodgers has gone as far as to call Howard 'a good kid'. It's not a bad situation to be in, if only because Rodgers knows his legacy cannot be threatened by any quarterback on the Steelers roster. The same can be said about the Vikings.
“I wanna help Will Howard as much as possible..If I can help him become a better player that would be an incredible achievement," Rodgers said on the Pat McAfee Show. "He’s such a good kid and I’m really looking forward to helping him out this season."
Will the Vikings regret not signing Aaron Rodgers?
The Vikings had little reason to sign Rodgers at the time. While JJ McCarthy is coming off a serious, season-ending injury and surgery, he is expected to be a full go by the time the season starts. Minnesota also traded for Sam Howell, who has some starting experience and could be counted on if McCarthy suffers a setback.
Rodgers reportedly preferred playing in Kevin O'Connell's system – and we cannot blame him for that, as most quarterbacks would agree with how friendly that system is – but it's unlikely he would've started most of the 2025 campaign. In a sense, Rodgers would've been a part-time starter who could mentor McCarthy. Is that really what either side wants?
There's little on Rodgers' resume that suggested he'd be open to mentoring a young quarterback, but perhaps he's really turned the page on his playing career. If 2025 really is his swan song, then he wants to leave a legacy with how he helped Howard along the way.