This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers had to exercise patience while waiting for Aaron Rodgers. It took a while, but eventually, he signed with them. However, before that happened, there were rumors that Rodgers wanted to join the Minnesota Vikings. Recently, ESPN insider Adam Schefter provided some details on how close a deal between Rodgers and the Vikings was to being finalized.
“Never got that close,” Schefter said Wednesday on the radio show Rothman and Ice. “There is a lot of belief in that building [in J.J. McCarthy]. There were conversations with Rodgers; they never got overly serious. I think the interest was more on Aaron’s side.
“He recognized the type of team the Vikings have, the type of coaches they have, the types of players, receivers, they have, and I think that would’ve been appealing to him. But the Vikings, they want somebody to complement J.J., to push J.J., and I think if you bring in Aaron, with all due respect, somebody like that is probably threatening to J.J., and that’s not what you’re trying to do.”
After signing with the Steelers, Rodgers confirmed that he talked to other teams while he was a free agent. It feels very likely that the Vikings were one of those teams. Like Schefter says, that was probably a desirable destination for Rodgers.
Last year, with Sam Darnold starting under center, the Vikings went 14-3. They were one of the best teams in the league, and Rodgers could’ve been an upgrade over Darnold. The Vikings have a vast array of weapons on offense, including Justin Jefferson, arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL.
However, the Vikings are clearly committed to McCarthy, whom they drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, McCarthy didn’t play during his rookie season due to injury. That didn’t shake Minnesota’s faith in him, though. They opted to stick with him rather than sign Rodgers. While Rodgers might be better than McCarthy now, this move could pay off in the long run for the Vikings.
If the Vikings were more interested in Rodgers, it would’ve been interesting to see if he would’ve picked them over the Steelers. For a veteran quarterback, they look like a better destination. Rodgers also would’ve been back in the NFC North, where he spent the majority of his career.
Rodgers has the chance to get some revenge on the Vikings, though. The Steelers will play them in Week 4 this year. That should give Rodgers a chance to prove to them firsthand that they should’ve picked him over McCarthy. He’s had some great battles with the Vikings over the years, and this year, he can add one chapter to that part of his career.
