With the news that the New York Jets are moving on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, some Minnesota Vikings fans are already toying with the idea of him throwing on a purple jersey like his former Green Bay predecessor.
In 2009, Packers legend Brett Favre ditched the Big Apple to join the Vikings for what was a memorable season that came to a screeching halt in the NFC Championship. The Vikings appeared to be a team of destiny. They finished 12-4, captured the NFC North and cruised into the NFC Championship following a 34-3 dismantling of Dallas.
With visions of Miami — the location of the Super Bowl that year — the season came crashing down when Favre threw across his body and was intercepted in the waning seconds of regulation. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints went on to beat the Vikings in overtime, sending Favre and the Vikings home in a state of disbelief.
That magic was never captured again by Favre and the Vikings, but the excitement that year made for one heck of a season.
Could Rodgers and the Vikings recapture that thrill? Almost a carbon copy of Favre’s journey to Minnesota, Rodgers began his career in Green Bay before making a short stop in New York. Favre then made one final run with the Vikings, and Rodgers will be looking for a new opportunity.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell spoke highly of Rodgers ahead of the Vikings’ Week 5 game against the Jets in London back jin October, calling him one of the best to ever play.
“I mean, it’s Aaron Rodgers,” said O’Connell. “He’s going to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to have played in our league.”
The Vikings have their quarterback of the future. The team selected Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy in last year’s NFL Draft higher than any quarterback in franchise history, but he’s fresh off a knee injury and has never taken a regular-season snap in the NFL.
Despite showing flashes in training camp and preseason, McCarthy is still young and has just one-half of preseason experience under his belt. And giving the 22-year-old a future Hall of Famer to learn from could have its benefits. During his 20 years in the league, three of which were spent on the bench behind Favre, Rodgers is first all-time in career passing rating list, fifth all-time in passing touchdowns (503) and seventh all-time in passing yards (62,952).
But there are certainly some concerns.
For one, Rodgers is 41 years old. There are very few quarterbacks who had success after 40, especially with a new team. Tom Brady bucked the trend in 2020 by helping lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title, but he’s certainly an outlier.
Another concern with signing Rodgers is character and leadership. He’s made some headlines over the years with his conspiracy theories and use of “alternative medicine,” including his experiences with psychedelics. Teammates have mostly been supportive of Rodgers — some have questioned his leadership over the years — but would he mesh well with the current leaders inside the Vikings’ locker room?
Bringing Rodgers to Minnesota would certainly create some buzz, but would it be worth jeopardizing the culture that was established over the last year? That’ll ultimately be up to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell.