There hasn’t been much drama in free agency this week, well, except for the situation with Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP is a free agent for the first time in his career, and although he has had five days to talk with teams, he still hasn’t made a decision about where he wants to play.
If you’re curious about why Rodgers is taking so long to decide, it appears that some blame for the delay lies with the Minnesota Vikings. According to The Athletic, the Vikings are still debating their options at quarterback for 2025, and part of those discussions revolves around whether they want to pursue Rodgers.
Rodgers is “giving them time and waiting to hear from” them, as reported by The Athletic. Although the Steelers and Giants have shown the most interest in him, the Vikings have long been viewed as a potential dark horse team.
As CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones highlighted, “If the Vikings wanted [Aaron] Rodgers, he would already be a Minnesota Viking.” Thus, while the Vikings contemplate their next steps, Rodgers is simply playing the waiting game.
The Vikings allowed Sam Darnold to leave in free agency, and currently, the only two quarterbacks they have on their roster are J.J. McCarthy and Brett Rypien, who both didn’t see any playtime in the 2024 season. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is recovering from a severe knee injury that sidelined him for the entire year. It’s reasonable to think the Vikings are evaluating if it makes sense to enter the season with him as their starter.
Currently, the decision doesn’t seem to revolve around finances; according to The Athletic, the Giants have extended the largest contract offer to Rodgers thus far, and if it were solely about the money, he would have accepted it already. A number of experts believe that Rodgers would be a perfect fit in Minnesota, and he may share that sentiment, which explains his patience.
Sauce Gardner believes Rodgers should go to Minnesota: the Jets corner recently mentioned on social media that Rodgers could potentially lead the NFL in all stats if he ends up with the Vikings.
Brett Favre also supports the idea of Rodgers making the move, stating, “By all means, sign with them. They’ve got a really good football team. They’re loaded at pretty much every position.” Favre made a similar transition in his own career, moving from the Packers to the Jets, and then to the Vikings.
