Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
By Mike Hennelly
Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets career started disappointingly after much anticipation following his trade from the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2023 season. After years of underperforming seasons and not making the playoffs since 2010, the Jets thought the four-time MVP would bring their franchise back to the promised land. That hasn’t been the case.
Rodgers was injured on the Jets’ first offensive possession to start the 2023 season and was forced to miss the remainder of the year. The team had Super Bowl aspirations following the Rodgers trade, but instead finished third in the AFC East and missed the playoffs.
The Jets again had sky-high expectations heading into 2024 with a full season of Rodgers under center. Their season ended even worse than in 2023 when Rodgers wasn’t on the field.
Rodgers is under contract with the Jets for the 2025 season, but his future with the organization and in the NFL is uncertain. The Jets hired former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their next head coach. Glenn may have a certain vision and preference for the quarterback position for next season. Rumors are swirling about whether Rodgers will remain the Jets’ starting quarterback in 2025, play elsewhere or retire from the NFL. The 20-year veteran’s future isn’t expected to be decided until the Jets hire a new general manager.
The Minnesota Vikings would be an intriguing landing spot for Rodgers if the Jets let the 41-year-old go this offseason. Sam Darnold is a pending free agent and the Vikings may opt not to commit to him considering his questionable past in the league and sub-par final two performances of the team’s 2024 season.
Darnold completed just 43.9 percent of his passes for 166 yards in the Week 18 blowout loss to the Lions with the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the line. He threw one touchdown and an interception and was sacked nine times in the 18-point loss to the Los Angeles Rams during the Wild Card Round. The 27-year-old, who had a career 21-35 record before the Vikings’ 14-win season in 2024, will likely play elsewhere in 2025.
Enter, Rodgers.
Despite the Jets’ 5-12 record in 2024, the four-time All-Pro showed that he still has something left in the tank. It wasn’t a season NFL fans are accustomed to seeing out of Rodgers, but he completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Although skeptical at times, he managed to run 22 times for 107 yards while starting all 17 games for the Jets. It was encouraging to see after missing the entire 2023 season with an Achilles injury.
The Jets’ season was full of drama. Former head coach Robert Saleh was fired on Oct. 8 after a 2-3 start, and Rodgers seems to have a strained relationship with the team’s owner, Woody Johnson. A parting feels like the best option for both sides.
No disrespect to Darnold, but he had an uncharacteristic season compared to the first six years of his career. The former third overall pick threw for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and a 102.5 passer rating, all career highs. He was named to the first Pro Bowl of his career. If a quarterback like Darnold can produce those numbers on the Vikings, then the future Hall of Famer Rodgers should have no problem putting together a similar, if not better, season in the same offense. The 10-time Pro Bowler had a solid statistical season on a five-win Jets team that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in total offense.
The Minnesota Vikings Have a Huge Problem: McCarthy or Darnold?
Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. Pair him with one of the NFL’s most dynamic and explosive wide receivers in Justin Jefferson, and the sky’s the limit for the Vikings’ offense in 2025. Not to mention Jordan Addison is one of the top number two wide receivers in the league, and the Vikings have a good offensive line. Head coach, and likely Coach of the Year, Kevin O’Connell is one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the game. Rodgers and O’Connell could do something special together in the quarterback’s year 21 season.
The Vikings may opt for 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as the team’s starting quarterback in 2025. The former Michigan Wolverine was injured during a preseason game and was forced to miss the entire season. McCarthy was in a quarterback battle with Darnold, but Darnold ultimately won the job and had the season he did because of the rookie’s injury.
The Minnesota Vikings Will Trade JJ McCarthy to the New York Jets
As McCarthy continues to rehab from his torn meniscus, the Vikings may look to other quarterback options to give the young player some time. Rodgers could be the perfect bridge quarterback for McCarthy to learn behind for a year while giving the Vikings the best chance to win.
Why not have Rodgers follow in Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre’s footsteps of being a long-time Packers quarterback to spend a short time with the Jets and then end his career as a Viking? It feels like a Hollywood ending.