Hate it or love it, it would be one helluva story to follow.
Aaron Rodgers to the Minnesota Vikings? The franchise might be in J.J. McCarthy’s hands in the future, but Adam Schefter went ahead and started the national conversation about Rodgers’ next destination and he just so happened to mention Minnesota.
Whether you love it or hate, it would be kinda cool that Rodgers starts and finishes his career playing for the Vikings. He attended Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Cali. and their nickname is the Vikings.
Is Rodgers a good fit in Minnesota? That’s debatable, but from a content-generating perspective, the idea of Rodgers playing for the Vikings is a sports writer’s fantasy. Forget wins and losses, we’re talking about content! Just imagine…
1. Complete the Brett Favre cycle
If it happens, it will be hard to ignore the chances of Jordan Love playing for the Vikings in 15 years because Rodgers would be the second consecutive Packers legendary quarterback to play for the Jets and Vikings after departing Green Bay. Like Favre, Rodgers didn’t have success in New York. Will he be like Favre and rebound with an MVP-caliber season with Minnesota? It may be written in the stars…
2. Rodgers might play for cheap
At 42 years old, Rodgers isn’t going to command a contract like the one he signed with the Jets (three years and $112 million with $75 million guaranteed). It’s possible that he’d play on a team-friendly deal for the best chance to win a Super Bowl. If the Vikings could get Rodgers for a Sam Darnold-like $10 million, it might be worth it.
Think about it. How many teams can say they are in their championship window with a possible QB opening? It might only be the Vikings, Steelers and Seahawks.
3. The publicity and jersey sales
If Zygi and Mark Wilf are looking to make as much money as possible, Rodgers is worthy of consideration because the jersey sales would be out of this world. After being acquired by the Jets in March 2023, Rodgers’ No. 8 Jets jersey was the No. 1 seller in April 2023 and wound up in the top 10 for the 2023 season. This is Marketing 101 and it would be crazy to not at least entertain the idea. On top of that, the Vikings would likely be thrust into numerous primetime games, including what could be epic battles between the Vikings and Packers.
4. Mentoring McCarthy
Anyone who watched the Rodgers documentary on Netflix knows that Rodgers appeared to be a really good teacher for Jordan Love in Green Bay and Zach Wilson in New York. He’s one of the smartest quarterbacks in the history of the game and his presence would give McCarthy another year to marinate in Kevin O’Connell’s offense while learning from a future Hall of Famer. What’s the worst that could happen? If Rodgers played one year in Minnesota, McCarthy could debut at 23 years old for the 2026-27 season.
5. Orbs, aliens, conspiracy theories and politics
One cannot talk about Rodgers without recognizing the crazy world we’re living in today. From the orbs and drones spotted all over the world to declassification of UFO files and Rodgers’ interest in politics, his residency in Minnesota could make for some interesting headlines over the course of time. As an added bonus, his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show during the regular season would give us unlimited content to write about.