'Maybe they're talking more than we realize': Do the Vikings and Aaron Rodgers have a plan?

The conversations inside Minnesota Vikings headquarters must be fascinating right now.

We're well over a week into NFL free agency, and despite splashing cash on big free-agent targets like right guard Will Fries, center Ryan Kelly, and defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, the Vikings have yet to schedule a press conference—something they typically do to introduce new players.

The Vikings have had ample time to publicly deny their alleged interest in Aaron Rodgers. They haven’t done it. Why not? This has led The Athletic's Dianna Russini, who has been at the forefront of connecting the dots between Rodgers and the Vikings, to wonder if there's more to the story.

"It seems sometimes when things are quiet, it usually tells us something's going on. Because we're getting to a point where it's getting bizarre. And when I say bizarre, I mean every team is wondering what is happening—at least the teams that are involved in this Aaron Rodgers search," Russini said on the Scoop City podcast.

"You've got the New York Giants, who would love Aaron Rodgers to be their quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Minnesota Vikings, who are still discussing whether or not they even want to go there. They have not offered him a contract. They have not laid out the structure of how that would all look. They're still having these internal conversations of, 'What do we want to do, and is this the direction we want to go in?'"

According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, neither the Vikings nor Rodgers have set a deadline for a decision.

"To me, the way I'm observing this, things seem very calm in Minnesota. I don't think Aaron Rodgers is in any rush right now. That tells me that the two sides may have a plan. Maybe they're talking more than we realize," Russini said.

Minnesota could silence the speculation in two seconds. They haven't done it, which has set the stage for endless rumors. Maybe Russini is onto something, and there really is something happening behind the scenes. Like you, we’ll sit back and keep turning the pages until the big reveal happens.