Inside The Vikings

Ugh. Adam Schefter has started the 'Aaron Rodgers to Vikings' speculation

This would be one of the funniest and most chaotic moves of all time if it happens.
Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws the ball under pressure from Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) in the fourth quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws the ball under pressure from Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) in the fourth quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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News broke on Sunday that the New York Jets have informed Aaron Rodgers that they'll be moving on at the quarterback position in 2025. And perhaps unsurprisingly, it took all of one day for the NFL's preeminent insider to stir up speculation around the idea of Rodgers completing the Brett Favre career arc and signing with the Minnesota Vikings this year.

Ugh. Here we go.

"My guess would be that he ends up playing," Adam Schefter said of the 41-year-old Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show. "He's gonna want to continue playing. I would guess he'll want to do it at a place that wants him. Here's a guy that, I think he's made more money than any NFL player in history right now. So that gives him the ability to sit back and be selective about what he does and doesn't want to do."

So where could he land, Schefty?

"It's a fluid, moving thing. Is Minnesota gonna lose Sam Darnold, or are they gonna bring him back?"

There it is. Sure, maybe that was just Schefter commenting on the biggest domino that has to fall in the quarterback market this offseason. But it can't be overlooked that the Vikings were the first team he brought up when asked about Aaron Rodgers landing spots, even if he didn't exactly come out and say he thinks it's a realistic possibility.

Schefter wasn't the first person to bring up the idea of Rodgers going to the Vikings, and he certainly won't be the last. Heck, we wrote a somewhat tongue-in-cheek article about it back in November when the Jets fired their general manager. Because of the Favre parallels and the ability to actually talk yourself into it making sense, it's not going anyway over the next few weeks.

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On paper, it's not the craziest idea ever. The Vikings have J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings if Darnold leaves, but he's 22 years old and just missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. Minnesota has a win-now roster and could theoretically give Rodgers a one-year deal before handing the keys over to McCarthy in 2026. There aren't many other logical landing spots for Rodgers, if the criteria is a contending team with uncertainty at QB.

Still, it seems extremely unlikely. On the field, Rodgers is now several years removed from his MVP-level play. Off the field, he's a unique personality with the potential to be a distraction and a difficult locker room presence. Do the Vikings really want to risk messing up their good vibes? It doesn't seem like something that would make much sense for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell.

But you never know. If it happens, it would be one of the funniest and most chaotic moves of all time, with history coming full circle.


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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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