Aaron Rodgers is still unsigned, and despite rumors of a possible match with the Minnesota Vikings, it appears that won’t happen.
Just ask Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who spoke extensively on the subject on Wednesday.
“Right now, given all of our scenario planning, we’re happy with our room, and obviously we’re going to talk a lot about J.J. McCarthy,” Adofo-Mensah explained, “but Brett Rypien, who we brought in last offseason and thought made a lot of great decisions, quick decision making, processing, and a better athlete than people give him credit for, accurate passer, so we’re excited about him.” And we’ll always be looking to see if we can upgrade that position, just like any other position.”
It’s fairly usual GM discussion, but Adofo-Mensah was asked to clarify on how he saw Rodgers in comparison to McCarthy, last year’s first-round choice who missed his first season with a preseason knee injury.
Would Rodgers be regarded as a competitor or simply a senior backup?
“You want to solve for a lot of things,” Adofo-Mensah told journalists on Wednesday. “You want competition, you want the ability to play if they aren’t the starter, and you’re basically trying to solve for a variety of dynamics. I’m not going to say anything particular to Aaron, simply what you’re attempting to accomplish with the decision.
If Rodgers joins the Vikings, he would complete Brett Favre’s career path. However, unlike Favre, Rodgers is not considered as a franchise-saving possibility, especially with McCarthy on the roster, whose presence forced Minnesota to let Sam Darnold leave in free agency earlier this month.
That could be enough to persuade the Vikings that it is not worth pursuing Rodgers. Meanwhile, the 41-year-old may be unwilling to sign a contract where he will be viewed as a backup with experience who can step in when needed.
“I think we got to a place where we just said, everybody was transparent, but right now we feel good about where we’re going, and that’s really how it ended,” Adofo-Mensah said of the Vikings’ negotiations with Rodgers. “It is ultimately up to him; it is difficult to discuss a player who is not under contract with our organization and is not a member of this team. It is ultimately up to him to determine what he wants to do with his future, but that is where we left things.
“I know (Vikings coach) Kevin (O’Connell) and him have a wonderful relationship still, and they’ll continue to have a relationship and keep talking, but right now I’m focused on the two players that are in our room right now personnel process going forward.
As Rodgers considers his future with the team, it appears that the Steelers are his most likely destination. Meanwhile, the Vikings are keeping an eye on McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick. They won’t name him the starter just yet — McCarthy acknowledged this week he hasn’t been told he’s QB1 — but they seem ready to see him earn it.
“You know, you all talk about QB1 and other things like that. When we pooled our resources to draft J.J. and went through that lengthy process, I can’t stand up here and say otherwise,” Adofo-Mensah stated. “That’s the end we want, and that’s where we’re headed. At every step, whether it was the draft process, practicing until the injury, or the offseason now, he met and exceeded our expectations. So, while I can’t predict the future, I can tell you what I anticipate to see from the competitors this summer.
“But it’s also our duty to create a quarterback room where we can gather, brainstorm, and prepare whoever is going to play, as well as give insurance in case someone needs to come in for a couple games. And it is our obligation as a people department to consider all of the possibilities available and ensure that we are preparing ourselves for the greatest possible outcome.”
These choices include the current roster players (McCarthy, Rypien), as well as Rodgers if expectations change. However, Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings are content to go without him for the time being, with the expectation that McCarthy will take over.
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