The Minnesota Vikings could not possibly be more clear that they do not want Aaron Rodgers on their football team for the 2025 season. There were multiple reports tying Minnesota to the four-time NFL MVP and longtime rival with the Green Bay Packers, but the Vikings affirmed their stance that, though they still need a backup, J.J. McCarthy is their preferred starter.
Much of the connection between Rodgers and Minnesota seems as if it could be boiled down to the veteran quarterback being interested in completing his own Brett Favre arc by making the Vikings his next stop. The Vikings, for their part, never seemed to be doing anything more than their homework on their former nemesis.
If it wasn't clear already from the latest reports that the Vikings are moving on from that Rodgers connection, though, Minnesota is now leaving no room for doubt.
According to FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz, the Vikings have been in "discussions" with former Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl quarterback Ryan Tannehill and that, while no deal is imminent between the two sides, they remain in contact and that a deal could be possible.
Sources: The #Vikings have had discussions with former #Titans QB Ryan Tannehill about a potential deal. Talks are ongoing and nothing is imminent as of right now, sources tell @NFLonFOX. pic.twitter.com/yF71IYo9Pg
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 21, 2025
Vikings deal another blow to Aaron Rodgers' ego with Ryan Tannehill interest
Tannehill, of course, was out of the NFL last season after a dismal 10-game showing (eight starts) in his final year with Tennessee in 2023. While he enjoyed plenty of success with the Titans, at 36 years old and in his final year with the club, it became clear that he's not the player that he once was. However, in the case of the Vikings, bringing him in as a veteran backup to McCarthy would make complete sense to have a more stable and accomplished presence on the depth chart.
At the same time, it should absolutely be construed as some sort of shot at Rodgers, or at least the veteran's ego. Rodgers coming to Minnesota, if that were a reality, would almost surely be with the QB entering his 21st season with the intention to start over the second-year signal-caller, McCarthy. That's not what the Vikings are planning for, however.
So instead of bending the knee to Rodgers and his whims, they're more than happy to take another accomplished veteran, albeit less so, in Tannehill despite the fact that he was out of the NFL last season. That should be a wake-up call for Rodgers that things have changed (and probably have him reconsidering his best chance to start, which is now the Pittsburgh Steelers).
This is unfamiliar territory for Rodgers but it's the reality at 41 years old post-Achilles tear and post-the 2024 New York Jets season. The Vikings would rather go for a far less storied experienced option to pair with McCarthy, and it's hard to blame them at this point.