The Minnesota Vikings have only one quarterback under contract next season — and with J.J. McCarthy yet to play a single regular-season snap — there may be a need for a veteran placeholder.
No quarterback who is expected to be available has a better resume than Aaron Rodgers.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, a former NFL agent, named the top landing spots for Rodgers, with the Vikings among his top three teams.
“Besides the storybook parallels to Brett Favre, who also went from Packers legend to Jets and Vikings rental to close his career, this one registers as sneakily plausible. The Vikings would surely prefer to re-sign current starter Sam Darnold, who’s fared reasonably well under Kevin O’Connell, but what if Darnold opts for a better-paying gig in 2025 free agency, confidence restored, ready to depart the lurking shadow of first-round pick J.J. McCarthy,” Benjamin wrote. “Minnesota might still want a placeholder as McCarthy returns from knee surgery, and Rodgers would be getting a ready-made lineup with the best offensive line, skill weapons and defense he’s had in years. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in the San Francisco 49ers‘ front office when the Niners reportedly tried to land Rodgers in 2021, and he’d also be betting on the vengeance factor, allowing Rodgers to play the Packers at least twice.”
Rodgers is in the penultimate year of a two-year, $75 million revised contract with the New York Jets. He has a $2.5 million base salary and the Jets would be on the hook for a majority of his contract if they find a trade partner.
Retirement the Most Likely Option for Rodgers, Analyst Says
GettyNew York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
While Benjamin made sound cases for several landing spots for Rodgers, the onus is on him to decide if he wants to continue to play.
Rodgers, who turns 41 in December, is one of the most polarizing players in the league. His darkness retreats and outspoken personality are well-documented as a man who has shown that he does things his way.
“Let’s face it: If Rodgers doesn’t return for a third season with the Jets, he probably won’t return at all. In some ways, it took great pains for the one-time star to even leave the Green Bay Packers in 2023. Plus, New York is specifically where he wanted to be. The Jets’ subsequent catering to his every desire, pouring resources into ex-Packers allies like Nathaniel Hackett and Allen Lazard, confirmed as much,” Benjamin wrote.
“It’s one thing to start all over again. It’s another to do it at age 41, coming off back-to-back injury-riddled seasons, and likely for a team that either won’t want to shoulder his level of power or isn’t properly equipped to make a title run. Rodgers may desire a celebratory sendoff, but like Tom Brady after his sluggish finale, he may realize that time is simply past, calling it a career rather than subjecting himself to additional turmoil.”
Other Vikings QB Options in 2025
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Regardless of the speculation on Rodgers’ future, the Vikings will be in the market for additional quarterbacks in the upcoming offseason.
Darnold is unlikely to return, regarded as the No. 1 free-agent quarterback. Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien‘s contracts are also due to expire.
A veteran quarterback presence would be ideal to help develop McCarthy.
Some 2025 free-agent quarterbacks who would fit that mold include Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Marcus Mariota, Taylor Heinecke and Jimmy Garoppolo.
