If the Steelers are not QB Aaron Rodgers’ preferred destination, the Vikings surely are. And they continue to stop just short of taking their name out of consideration, acknowledging conversations with Rodgers. Even as they prepare to move forward with their 2024 first-round quarterback, they just can’t quit the former NFL MVP.
A week ago, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acknowledged that he couldn’t “100-percent forever” rule out that they would consider signing Aaron Rodgers this offseason. This week, it was HC Kevin O’Connell discussing the Steelers’ preferred target at quarterback. And once again, he couldn’t say unequivocally that they wouldn’t turn back to him later this offseason.
Aaron Rodgers “happened to be at a point in time in his career where he was free to have some real dialogue about what his future may look like”, the Vikings head coach said. “And we happened to be one of those teams that he reached out to. And I have had a personal relationship with him going back since my playing days”.
O’Connell only earned one accrued season in the NFL in 2008, and his career never placed him on the same roster as Aaron Rodgers. He spent time with the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Lions, and Chargers, but never in the NFC. But the Vikings were clearly a better team than the Steelers last year, and Rodgers might feel they are a quarterback away.
That’s why many believe Rodgers would prefer to sign with the Vikings over the Steelers, if given the option. It would help explain why Rodgers is taking such a long time to make a decision, considering there only appears to be one suitor for him. Appearances can be deceiving, though; we don’t know what Minnesota is telling him.
The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall last year, but he missed his entire rookie season due to injury. They managed to have a successful season with Sam Darnold, though, going 14-3, even if they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Darnold is gone via free agency, so if they aren’t sure about McCarthy, they would need a veteran like Rodgers.
But the Steelers also need a veteran like Rodgers—more than the Vikings do, quite frankly. They don’t have a promising young quarterback under contract. They also don’t have the resources to make a bold move in the draft. If they don’t land Rodgers, then Mason Rudolph likely starts for them this season.
So is Rodgers dragging his feet just hoping that the Vikings change their minds? It’s understandable if one is left with that impression. Rarely does a healthy, in-demand free agent take this long to sign with a team. He has lost out on other opportunities while he waits, now apparently down to just the Steelers. But if the Vikings were to have a change of heart, that would completely reset the table. And for Rodgers, presumably, it will have been worth the gamble—and the wait.
