The Minnesota Vikings have all but shut the door on signing Aaron Rodgers in free agency. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah used the qualifier “right now” when discussing the Vikings’ plans, which seemingly bodes well for J.J. McCarthy.
However, Adofo-Mensah’s lack of a clear “no” regarding adding Rodgers at some point before the 2025 season has left the discussion on the table in NFL and media circles.
Rodgers’ former teammate, James Jones, weighed in and ripped the Vikings’ current plan.
“Rodgers gives them the best chance [to win in 2025], and y’all know how I feel about Aaron Rodgers. That’s my dog. I feel like he can take any organization so far. I just got confidence in him like that. He gives him the best chance. But I don’t want to see it, man. Go with the young boy. Let the young boy play football. You drafted him [No.] 10 overall. Let him play football,” Jefferson said on “The Facility” on March 28.
“To be honest with you, I hate what the Minnesota Vikings are doing. Give the young boy some confidence. Let him know, ‘You the starter,’ man. Let him know, ‘This is your football team. We drafted you 10th overall. Let all the Aaron Rodgers talk go out the window. We believe in you.’”
Adofo-Mensah answered several questions about Rodgers similarly.
“Given where our scenario was, we didn’t think it was the right move at this time. It is also his decision to whether he signs with another team. That’s ultimately up to another player. For me to sit here and say that anything’s a 100% forever, that’s just not the job, right? We’re responding to scenarios and different information as it comes, so, obviously, things can change,” Adofo-Mensah told reporters on March 26.
“Right now, we’re really happy with our room. And we’re going to look to upgrade it in different ways. But for now, we’re really excited.”
Adofo-Mensah also said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell would keep in touch with Rodgers.
James Jones Urges Vikings to Close Door on Aaron Rodgers, Give J.J. McCarthy ‘Confidence’
Jones regaled his fellow hosts with an anecdote about his time, notably as Rodgers’ teammate, on the Green Bay Packers.
“The best thing [former Packers executive] Ted Thompson did for me and Greg Jennings, right? Brett Favre was there. Brent Favre was pushing for Randy Moss at the time,” Jones said. “Ted Thompson came up to me and Greg Jennings, and he said, ‘Hey, man. I believe in y’all boys. I drafted y’all boys. I’m not getting him. But it just was a confidence builder for us. Not saying we turned out to be Randy Moss,” Jones said.
“We got a Super Bowl out of it. But just the confidence of your GM telling you, ‘Bruh, we’re not going to get him. Go out there and play football. We drafted you, we developing y’all, let’s go play.”
McCarthy turned heads by revealing the Vikings had not told him he would be the starter, and that he appreciated their approach.
Adofo-Mensah downplayed the topic, noting he is unsure it such a declaration is ever made.
“Give the young boy some confidence. Stop having the young boy thinking, ‘Is this my team? Am I gonna play? Is Aaron Rodgers coming?’ All that,” Jones said. “Aaron Rodgers does give you the best chance right now. But for the future, let the young quarterback play. And I think you can be able, with the roster you have, to compete for some championships down the road.”
Vikings ‘Always Discussed’ QB Competition
Adofo-Mensah acknowledged the Vikings will continue exploring the veteran QB market before going into their offseason program. The Vikings have always planned on holding a battle for the starting job in training camp.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini believes the Vikings QB room could still include Rodgers.
“J.J. McCarthy has not been told he is the starter. He’s not been told he’s the No. 1 guy,” Russini said on the “Scoop City” podcast on March 28. “It was always discussed that it would be a competition this summer, right? So they’re not telling him anything. That is also telling to me, right?
“They don’t know [how good McCarthy is]. How could they know? He’s coming off injury. They need to see it. And I do think there’s a world – and I know Viking fans don’t want to see it. Whether it’s their hate for Aaron Rodgers, whether it’s they feel that J.J. is not getting a fair shake – whatever the reason is for why some Viking fans don’t want to see Aaron Rodgers – they have to come to grips. There is a world that exists this year where Aaron Rodgers hangs out, and the Minnesota Vikings pick up the phone, and they make the call. It could happen.”
While many outcomes remain possible, and the Vikings and McCarthy have said there have been no assurances given, this does not mean they have not discussed where McCarthy is.
Adofo-Mensah’s comments about McCarthy starting, then, could prove most telling.
“That’s the outcome where we’re headed towards. At every checkpoint – whether it be in the draft process or practice until the injury or really the offseason now – he’s met the bar. He exceeded our expectations at every point,” Adofo-Mensah said.
“I don’t have the ability to tell you what the future is. But I can tell you what I expect to be the outcome this offseason from the competition.”
Brett Rypien is the only other QB on the Vikings’ roster as of March 28.
