Veteran quarterback and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers could take his time and wait until after the 2025 NFL Draft to make his decision on where he would go to play, according to NFL Network.
According to reports, Rogers is in no hurry to make a decision. Both the Giants and Steelers remain interested in the former Jets passer, although he likes the Vikings, who may have already grown tired of waiting or not reaching an agreement, so their internal view has changed.
Awful play! Aaron Rodgers’ last pass with Davante Adams
Aaron Rodgers remains defiant
After letting Sam Darnold hit the market and signing a $105 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings are looking for a new starting quarterback.
That is expected to be J.J. McCarthy, who was taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but other voices within the franchise have expressed doubts that the Vikings will feel comfortable handing the reins of their offense to a 22-year-old inexperienced player coming off a serious injury.
Multiple reports indicate that Rodgers was Minnesota’s primary target for the offseason, but the 41-year-old quarterback has been absent since the start of free agency, and several sources have claimed that Rodgers is taking the reins as he decides which team he wants to play for in 2025, if any.
The Vikings are believed to be one of the favorites to sign Rodgers, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants, but after a recent appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler practically dashed any hopes Vikings fans might have had of Rodgers coming to Minnesota.
“The people in the organization that I’ve talked to have been pretty consistent in their message: Aaron Rodgers is possible, but unlikely,” Fowler said. “That’s the message I’ve gotten, so that’s what I take and leave room for an unexpected possibility: that something unpredictable happens with Rodgers. I don’t expect it; I think they’re ready to sign J.J. McCarthy.”
It is very possible that they are waiting for some dominoes to fall and determine how much money they need to invest in a good substitute so as not to affect their compensation selection formula, as they want future draft picks.
The Vikings have invested heavily in McCarthy
They swapped fourth- and fifth-round picks last year just to move up one spot in the 2024 draft and make sure they got McCarthy after rumors circulated that the Denver Broncos, who were lurking one pick later, were looking to move up and beat Minnesota to get the former Michigan quarterback.
And while signing a veteran of Rodgers’ caliber for McCarthy to stay and learn from him for a year or two would probably be a big boost. In terms of his development, it should come as no surprise that the team would be confident in starting next season with McCarthy as the undisputed starter.
“All their moves, especially those two big signings for the offensive line, show that we’re fully committed to J.J. McCarthy,” Fowler added. “From what I’ve been told, he’s already proven that he’s going to be their franchise player; it’s just a matter of whether it happens today, in four months or in 12 months.”
