Vikings announcer: Aaron Rodgers would be a 'polarizing identity' and a 'hassle'

Fans are in the football waiting room in anticipation of Rodgers' big decision. Vikings remain a team that may be lurking as a possible Rodgers landing spot.

Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on during the first quarter of their game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

All eyes are on Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers supposedly want him. The Giants supposedly want him. The Vikings are reportedly mulling over the idea of extending an offer to Rodgers.

Rodgers is the talk of the NFL, despite teams like the Vikings, Steelers, and Giants making blockbuster moves in trades and free agency. It's a great example of how the spotlight follows Rodgers. Whether that's good or bad for a team is up for debate, but Vikings radio play-by-play announcer Paul Allen doesn’t seem to be a fan of the Vikings adding the 41-year-old QB.

"He becomes the identity of the football team. If you sign Aaron Rodgers, he has become the polarizing identity of your covenant," Allen said Wednesday on his KFAN radio show. "When you bring somebody like that in, it's not just having Gardner Minshew as your backup. It's not Skylar Thompson as your backup. It's Aaron Rodgers, man, and he ain't coming here to be a backup."

Bottom line: Allen believes Rodgers would be a hassle that may not be worth the upside. Instead, he’d like to see the Vikings sign Joe Flacco as McCarthy’s backup.

"Flacco's fine. And he's cheaper. And he's less hassle. And he knows how to win. And he still throws the ball well. And you just pumped zillions into your o-line, so supposedly he shouldn't be running for his life," Allen reasoned. "And I don't even know if they like Joe Flacco. I mean, this is all my deduction here. I like Joe Flacco."

Michael Lombardi, the former NFL general manager who now holds that title at the University of North Carolina, thinks Rodgers has to give the Vikings strong consideration because he wouldn’t have to carry the team like he was asked to do with the Jets.

"When you look at the Minnesota Vikings and what Kevin O’Connell’s able to do with a quarterback, I think you have to give that strong consideration," Lombardi said Thursday on The Pat McAfee Show.

Allen also speculated that bringing Rodgers in could suggest there’s something “wrong” with J.J. McCarthy. The 22-year-old suffered a torn meniscus and missed his entire rookie season, but the Vikings say he’s going to hit the ground running at organized team activities, followed by mandatory minicamp and then training camp this summer.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on GoJo and Golic Thursday that the Vikings "haven't made a decision just yet" about Rodgers. That leads to the logical thought that Rodgers might be waiting on the Vikings to make a decision before he announces his plans.

Nobody knows for sure, but everyone has an opinion on the matter. In the end, it’s up to the Vikings to make Rodgers an offer—and then it’s up to Rodgers to decide if he wants to take it.