Insider believes Aaron Rodgers’ 'first choice' is the Vikings

It really does sound like the Vikings are holding up the Aaron Rodgers decision. Michael Silver believes the Vikings are Rodgers' preferred destination. Silver doesn't think J.J. McCarthy's health has anything to do with the decision.

Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) talks with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Aaron Rodgers steam is getting hotter by the hour and the latest from an insider who has been connecting the dots to Minnesota suggests that Rodgers' preferred destination is the Vikings.

When asked on ESPN Radio how likely the Vikings pursuing Rodgers is, Michael Silver of The Athletic indicated that Rodgers would prefer to be in Minnesota.

"That is really up to Kevin O'Connell and the decision-makers in the building. We believe that Aaron Rodgers' first choice is to play for the Vikings. This is something that they are strongly considering and weighing," Mike Silver said on the Joe & Q podcast.

"They do need another quarterback, but with a team built to win now and obviously a great quarterback expert in Kevin O'Connell, the reigning coach of the year, one of the all-time great quarterbacks sitting out there is a very enticing prospect. I think the situation is [the] Vikings are trying to decide and that could go either way. If [the] Vikings decide they want Rodgers, I think it's very likely that will happen."

While Silvers' colleague, Dianna Russini, speculated about McCarthy's health perhaps playing a role in Minnesota's decision, Silver thinks it's simply all about an opportunity to add an all-time great quarterback to a ready-to-win-now roster.

"I believe they're still very high on J.J. McCarthy. He lost a lot of weight last year. It was a rough intro to the NFL, but they're still really high on him to the point where other teams have kind of poked around wondering if he could be available and they pretty strongly rebuffed all of that," Silver said.

"We're talking about one of the all-time great players in football. Their evaluation of him is, I think, a little higher than some fans who think he's over the hill, it's gone, he stinks, the Jets stunk. I think they view that a lot differently, as do a lot of NFL talent evaluators. And they are a team built to win now, so can you have your cake and eat it too?"

"I don't know that it's enough to sway them to say let's take the swing and it could get messy, but it's certainly something they're weighing pretty strongly," Silver added. "I'm told it really could go either way at this point."

Silver also said retirement is still on the table for Rodgers.

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