The Minnesota Vikings have the makings of being a contender next season after a splashy free agency that saw roughly $250 million invested into the team over the next several seasons.
They’ve fortified their interior offensive line, signing Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly and prized-guard Will Fries. They added a pair of ferocious defensive tackles in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. And they re-signed running back Aaron Jones and Pro Bowl corner Byron Murphy.
The Vikings roster is built to plug in J.J. McCarthy and see how far the 22-year-old can take them.
Where that could be is a complete question. McCarthy has not played a single regular-season game in the NFL.
Another more proven option, no matter how improbable it may seem, has presented itself in Aaron Rodgers — and the Vikings are doing their diligence.
Vikings Entertaining the Possibility of Adding Aaron Rodgers: ESPN
On March 12, ESPN NFL Nation Vikings beat reporter Kevin Seifert reported on that there have been internal talks about adding Rodgers.
“My understanding is that the Vikings have at least been entertaining the possibility internally of what it would look like to add Aaron Rodgers into this quarterback room,” Seifert said on “SportsCenter.” “The idea would be: you have a 14 win team; you have the reigning coach of the year in Kevin O’Connell; you have an All-Pro receiver in Justin Jefferson; offensive and defensive lines that have been upgraded here in free agency; and also a pretty great defense with Brian Flores. So you drop Aaron Rodgers into that mix and, potentially, you have a Super Bowl favorite for 2025.
“That would obviously push J.J. McCarthy’s timetable back a year to 2026, I don’t have any information to suggest that’s the likely scenario right now,” Seifert added. “But I do know that as of yesterday evening, they were having that discussion internally, whether Aaron Rodgers is the right option for 2025, and whether it’s right for their building and for their culture and their organization.”
Vikings Can Win Now With Rodgers
GettyAaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets looks on before a game against the Miami Dolphins.
A lot is working against Rodgers coming to Minnesota.
The Vikings have maintained the course of not paying a veteran quarterback since parting ways with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold in consecutive offseasons in hopes of building a contender with McCarthy’s rookie-scale contract at the roster’s core.
Rodgers also isn’t a cultural fit. The former Green Bay Packers quarterback has a media circus following his every move and has had power struggles with the Packers and New York Jets.
But if Rodgers agreed to an affordable one-year deal, it’s hard to say no.
The four-time MVP quarterback fizzled out in a dysfunctional Jets organization that is the opposite of the Vikings. In the NFLPA’s annual team report card, New York was the only team whose ownership received an F-grade, while Minnesota was awarded an A+.
Rodgers may be a big personality, but he is smart enough to know his role when he’s in a good place.
The Vikings have the best possible situation for Rodgers, who is looking to go out on top after his bet with the Jets did not pan out.
What Minnesota has to offer should be enough for him to cede some control and take a team-first approach to his contract.
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