In February 2024, shortly after McCarthy led Michigan to a National Championship and a little under three months before the Vikings selected him with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft, Rodgers appeared on episode #2099 of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
During the nearly two-and-a-half-hour interview, Rodgers made a comment that stood out to McCarthy.
“You stand for something,” Rodgers said on February 6, 2024. “You stand courageously for what you believe in, or the opposite side of that is either saying nothing or being a coward.”
McCarthy later shared the clip on his Instagram story with a simple two-word caption: “Goat Human 🐐.”
At that time, it was clear that McCarthy greatly admired Rodgers. However, how McCarthy will respond to the potential challenge to his role as the starting quarterback for the 14-3 Vikings is still uncertain.
McCarthy has expressed a strong desire to play, especially after watching rookies like Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix achieve success with the Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos, respectively, during the playoffs.
On March 5, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk spoke with Paul Allen of KFAN, predicting that McCarthy could request a trade if the Vikings offer a contract extension to 2024 starter Sam Darnold.
“I thought maybe they would tag and trade him, tag him and keep him for a year. They might still keep him,” Florio said. “Would it be a one-year deal? Two years or longer? And if it’s two years, that becomes a problem — at least from J.J. McCarthy’s perspective. Because if they commit to Darnold for two years, I predict J.J. McCarthy is going to ask for a trade.”
The Vikings may risk damaging their long-term relationship with McCarthy if they sign Rodgers.
Darnold eventually received over $100 million from the Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota also let Daniel Jones leave for the Indianapolis Colts rather than matching his one-year, $14 million deal. This seemed to suggest that the Vikings were planning to make McCarthy their starting quarterback this season, even though he has yet to play in a regular-season game, and the team’s roster is considered Super Bowl-caliber.
However, on Friday, Dianna Russini from The Athletic reported that Rodgers is waiting for Minnesota’s decision before finalizing his choice between joining the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants. He’s giving the Vikings time to decide if they want him on a short-term contract to pursue a title next season.
“Here’s what you need to know,” Russini wrote on X. “The Vikings are having discussions about what they want to do at quarterback and if they want Rodgers. Rodgers is giving them time and waiting to hear from Minnesota. The Vikings have yet to make a decision. We all wait.”
While McCarthy respects Rodgers as both a player and a person, the situation could complicate the team’s relationship with its young quarterback, and how it will unfold is anyone’s guess.
Leave a Reply