While Aaron Rodgers may have preferred to play for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, it doesn’t sound as if that’s going to happen. The Vikings are not pursuing Rodgers, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, telling teams that they’re moving forward with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback.
With the Vikings seemingly out of the Rodgers sweepstakes, the four-time MVP’s options are down to just the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. With Minnesota now making it clear it isn’t pursuing him, it could expedite the timeline for Rodgers’ decision.
The Steelers have been content to wait for Rodgers to make up his mind, and they have made him a priority to be their starting quarterback next season. While the Giants have reportedly offered more money to Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers offer him a team that’s ready to win, with two talented receivers in George Pickens and DK Metcalf and a defense that can be one of the best in the league.
There’s still not timeline for Rodgers to make his decision, but the Steelers reportedly felt like they were getting closer to a decision yesterday. We’ll see if the Vikings’ decision helps speed the timeline up, and maybe it could come as soon as this week.
There is a third option for Rodgers, and that’s retirement. Even though he is more likely to play in 2025 and wanted to return to the Jets next season before they cut him, it still has to be considered a possibility for the 41-year-old quarterback. Now that his preferred team is out of the picture and no longer lurking as a potential destination, Rodgers may more seriously consider hanging up the cleats. Last week, Ian Rapoport said it’s still a consideration, so it can’t be ruled out as a possibility.
If Rodgers retires or winds up in New York, the Steelers will likely roll with Mason Rudolph as their starting quarterback in 2025 and sign another veteran free agency as a backup. It’s not the scenario the team envisioned heading into the offseason, but it seems as if the Steelers feel that Rodgers is enough of an upgrade that he’s been worth waiting on and is worth continuing to wait on.
It’ll be beneficial for the Steelers either way for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision sooner rather than later, so they can have clarity on their quarterback situation and work on building out the rest of their roster. With Minnesota making its decision known, that seems to be an actual possibility.
