The more we saw reports of the Minnesota Vikings being connected to free-agent quarterback and longtime rival Aaron Rodgers, the clearer it became that the interest was largely one-sided with Rodgers trying to capitalize on an advantageous situation in the Twin Cities. Now, we have even more details that prove the Vikings weren't all that interested at all.
We knew that, despite the presence of J.J. McCarthy, the team's Top 10 pick from last year's draft who missed his rookie season with a preseason knee injury, the Vikings were interested in a reunion with Sam Darnold first, then with Daniel Jones as well. That's when, according to SI NFL insider Albert Breer, Rodgers saw an opportunity with Minnesota.
The insider confirmed that Rodgers reached out to the Vikings and he had a clear pitch in mind. Rodgers tried to sell the organization on bringing him in for "a one-year run at a Lombardi" while also expressing willingness to serve as McCarthy's mentor. Though it's always easy to poke fun at Rodgers, that's not a bad sell job on his part.
Yet, the Vikings ultimately decided that it still wasn't worth it.
Aaron Rodgers' pitch to Vikings fell completely flat
The Vikings certainly had to consider Rodgers' offer but decided against it. As Breer put it, the team was "emboldened" to establish McCarthy as their quarterback of the future and move forward with the Michigan product as the guy.
Part of that consideration was certainly that Rodgers is much different than having Darnold or Jones in the building. In Darnold's case, he was already established in Minnesota after last season but also could still be the stopgap before McCarthy. Jones, meanwhile, could push McCarthy but simultaneously didn't offer much of a viable threat to usurp the fellow first-round pick in the long-term quarterback hierarchy.
With Rodgers, there would be questions, there would be drama, and there would be volatility. In the year 2025, these are the guarantees that come with what we know about Aaron Rodgers, no matter what he's trying to sell. That could still be worth it, sure, but the Vikings decided that it wasn't in this situation.
That also feels like the right call for Minnesota. Yes, the McCarthy injury muddied the timeline, as did the 14-win season that Darnold put together. At the end of the day, though, the plan was always to have Darnold be the bridge for as long as he needed to be, then turn the keys over to McCarthy. By giving Rodgers a "thanks, but no thanks," that's exactly what they're still doing. I'm always going to be a proponent of not changing a long-term plan that's already in motion.
Of course, we'll have to see how that plays out in Minnesota, but the process still feels right. Rodgers might not like it but, even if it's not a one-year run at a Super Bowl like the four-time MVP promised and pitched, the future is brighter with the Vikings putting their all behind McCarthy.