Will the Vikings get another chance after missing the Aaron Rodgers boat?

Minnesota allegedly passed on a low-cost Aaron Rodgers once. With doubts at quarterback and cap pressure ahead, the question is whether that door is completely closed.

[US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Sep 28, 2025; Dublin, IRELAND; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts after playing against the Minnesota Vikings in a NFL International Series game at Croke Park. Mandatory Credit: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters via Imagn Images | Reuters via Imagn Images

Barring some sort of situation where Aaron Rodgers is wearing purple and gold in 2026, Minnesota Vikings fans and head coach Kevin O'Connell may forever regret not signing Rodgers when they had the chance.

Rodgers, 42, allegedly waited for the door to open in Minnesota before ultimately signing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers when the Vikings made it clear that they were moving forward with J.J. McCarthy. Hindsight is 20:20, but there's little doubt that the Vikings would be in the playoffs had they taken the Rodgers route.

The storyline re-entered the spotlight on New Year's Eve as The Athletic's Alec Lewis reported on Minnesota's 2025 failures, writing that the Vikings "rejected Aaron Rodgers' desire to play in Minnesota for a minimal salary."

How minimal? Rodgers signed a one-year deal with a $14.15 million cap hit. But if you'll recall, Rodgers told Pat McAfee when he first addressed all of the drama last April that he would've played for $10 million.

"There's been a lot of people assuming they have information about me. That's just not true," Rodgers said. "I've been straight up with these teams from the start about where I was at, starting with the money thing. I've told every single one of these teams I've talked to, it ain't about the money. I'll play for [$10 million]. I don't care."

Of course, how accurate has the reporting been about Rodgers? Did he truly have a desire to play for the Vikings, as The Athletic's Lewis, Michael Silver, and Dianna Russini routinely reported? Rodgers, whether you believe him or not, shut down that idea during the same conversation with McAfee.

"There's been a lot of narratives that have not been anywhere near accurate. Starting with the Jets, continuing with something I just read about me pitching something to the Vikings," Rodgers claimed. "That's not accurate either. I'm sure there's a lot of sentiment from Packers fans, s***, maybe even Vikings fans about certain things, but no, I've known Kevin forever. I've known Kevin O'Connell since we used to work out [together in San Diego]. I've known him for 17-18 years, and we've got a good friendship. We talk outside of just this offseason. We keep in touch during the season, so we've had good communication."

Will the Vikings get another chance to sign Rodgers?

In the end, it's obvious that Minnesota should've signed Rodgers.

"With the benefit of hindsight, it’s pretty clear that the Vikings made a mistake by not signing Rodgers. He hasn’t been great this year for the Steelers, ranking 23rd out of 36 QBs in EPA per play, but he’s been miles better than McCarthy (who is 36th)," says Vikings On SI's Will Ragatz. "Had they brought Rodgers in, they’d almost certainly be headed for the playoffs, and Justin Jefferson would’ve surpassed the 1,000-yard mark weeks ago. But with the information the Vikings had at the time, their decision made sense. They felt they needed to find out what they had in McCarthy in year two of his rookie deal. No one thought it would turn out quite this poorly, both in terms of McCarthy staying healthy and how he’s played when he’s been on the field."

With so much doubt about McCarthy going into the offseason, Rodgers' future will be a major talking point for the Steelers, and perhaps the Vikings. If Rodgers decides to return for a 22nd season, would his alleged desire to play for the Vikings still exist? Would Minnesota reconsider? Those Vikings-Packers games in 2026 would be incredible, and Rodgers would be, hypothetically, giving it one more go with a roster that, if it remains healthy, could contend for a Super Bowl.

There really isn't a more affordable alternative than Rodgers, who could be had for, say, $10 million, compared to the price the Vikings would have to pay to trade for someone like Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, or Lamar Jackson.

The Vikings are projected to be $36 million over the 2026 salary cap, so finding cost-effective ways to improve the roster and possibly groom McCarthy as he enters his age-23 season will be priorities.

If Rodgers doesn't hang up his cleats, another round of rumors will make for another round of excellent offseason theater.