Aaron Rodgers appears to be holding out hope that the Minnesota Vikings will sign him, but it seems he may be out of luck.
Since free agency began on Monday, Rodgers has received contract offers from the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. A report on Saturday suggested that Rodgers is hoping to join the Vikings, which is why he’s taking his time in making a decision.
However, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings are likely to pass on Rodgers. Fowler mentioned during “SportsCenter” on Sunday that the prevailing feeling in the NFL is that Minnesota is ready to hand the reins to JJ McCarthy.
“Teams are waiting this out, waiting on Rodgers. The sense is that it’s not just a money issue here. There’s also the fit, the surroundings, and all those factors,” Fowler said, as quoted by Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report. “The Vikings are on the sidelines right now. Sources indicate it’s possible they could pursue Rodgers, but the general feeling this week is no. They’re focused on developing J.J. McCarthy.”
Rodgers might believe that the Vikings offer his best chance to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025. The team finished 14-3 last season with Sam Darnold at quarterback, highlighting the strength of their roster. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has also been highly successful with quarterbacks since taking over in Minnesota.
The Vikings traded up to select McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft. Though the former Michigan standout suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason, he’s expected to be fully recovered for the upcoming season.
At 41, Rodgers is far from the MVP-caliber player he once was. The Vikings may feel that McCarthy could offer as much as Rodgers at this stage of the veteran quarterback’s career.
Leave a Reply