Twenty years ago, Aaron Rodgers was humiliated as he sat alone in the green room during the 2005 NFL Draft. Now, he’s back in limbo, once again watching quarterbacks get picked over him as he lingers in free agency.
The 41-year-old quarterback was reportedly interested in joining the Minnesota Vikings, but they are refusing to repeat history. The Vikings rejected Rodgers’ attempt to follow in Brett Favre’s footsteps and will instead move forward with J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Vikings rejected multiple trade calls for McCarthy and told teams that he will be their starting quarterback, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday. Despite spending a year in Minnesota, the 22-year-old quarterback remains relatively unknown. Although McCarthy looked impressive in his preseason, but his rookie campaign came to an abrupt end when he suffered a torn meniscus in the third quarter.
Rodgers may be off the table, but Minnesota will still need to add a backup quarterback as McCarthy works his way back from the season-ending injury. The only other quarterback currently under contract is Brett Rypien, and McCarthy could benefit from the guidance of a more experienced veteran.
Vikings could potentially reunite with Kirk Cousins
While there are plenty of backup options still available, one potential candidate stands above the rest. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins could be a potential option for the Vikings if he becomes available later this offseason, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert suggested on Wednesday.
Cousins spent six years in Minnesota and enjoyed one his most productive seasons with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2022. An Achilles injury sidelined him for a majority of the 2023 season, and he signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in free agency last offseason. Atlanta quickly regretted Cousins’ massive contract — the 36-year-old veteran struggled to return to form and was benched after leading the team to a 7-7 record in 14 starts.
While Atlanta is moving forward with second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as their starter, parting ways with Cousins won’t be easy. Releasing Cousins would leave the Falcons with $75 million in dead money over the next two years. The only realistic option is to trade Cousins, which would drop the dead cap hit to $37.5 million over two years and would also save roughly $27.5 million in 2025 cap space.
Cousins’ price, however, may be too rich for the Vikings. NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that the Falcons could be looking for a third-round pick for Cousins. That would be a lot for the Vikings to give up for a backup quarterback, especially considering Cousins’ salary.
In his lone preseason appearance, McCarthy displayed the pocket presence and decision-making ability that helped him lead Michigan to a national championship. While it was a promising performance, it wasn’t perfect, and a veteran like Cousins could help McCarthy’s development.