ESPN insider doesn’t currently have Vikings in the conversation for the former Packers quarterback.
There continue to be rumblings about the possibility of Aaron Rodgers playing for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.
The latest reports from notable NFL insiders on Wednesday were that Rodgers was intrigued about the possibility of playing in Minnesota, and that the Vikings have at least considered internally the prospect of bringing the 41-year-old quarterback into the fold next season. But another notable insider isn’t buying any of the Rodgers to Minnesota steam.
“I’m not including Minnesota in the Aaron Rodgers conversation until I have a reason to — have some form of evidence that that’s something we need to take realistically,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Milwaukee’s ESPN-FM 94.5 on Wednesday. “Now, there are no absolutes this time of year. Anything can always happen, but I just don’t view that as a primary option right now. Minnesota, to me, is setting sail with J.J. McCarthy. I think people forget he was the 10th overall pick in the draft. He was competing last year where he very well might have been the starting quarterback. …
“It’s going to be J.J. McCarthy. He’s their guy.”
McCarthy, by all accounts, is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Vikings this season. Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t mince words last preseason after McCarthy suffered a meniscus injury: He was going to be the franchise quarterback in short order. But the team would still like to add a veteran quarterback to pair with McCarthy should he not be ready coming off the injury or other circumstances. Rodgers is the headliner on the free agent quarterback market.
Rodgers, however, doesn’t exactly fit the mold of a bridge quarterback as a former MVP. He would be expected to beat out McCarthy, which would either delay McCarthy’s ascension for another year or potentially lead to a complicated situation should McCarthy beat Rodgers out for the job. And other interested teams don’t have a quarterback waiting in the wings.
“I think the primary options are the Steelers and the Giants, and then does (Rodgers) want to play? Before we even get to Minnesota. I think people have come to the conclusion that he wants to play, but to me, this shouldn’t be that hard,” Schefter said on the radio. “Like the Steelers want you, the Giants want you. We’re seeing players across the league make decisions. It should be that hard. Either you want to play, or you don’t. You want to play for Pittsburgh or you don’t. You want to play in New York or you don’t. … My guess is he wants to play. My guess is that Pittsburgh’s the leader, but I don’t know what (Rodgers) is thinking right now. And he’s a tough guy to predict.”
And even if the Vikings would like Rodgers, perhaps his timeline doesn’t work for them.
“I was told (Tuesday) it was going to take some time (for Rodgers to make a decision),” Schefter said. “Now, I don’t know — that was (Tuesday) morning, so what is some time? Is some time a day? Is it a week? I don’t know what some time is.”