Whether he or Minnesota Vikings fans like it or not, Aaron Rodgers‘ career trajectory has followed his predecessor Brett Favre.
The final chapter to be fulfilled? Rodgers landing in Minnesota.
It’s a fan theory that has lingered for years. But with the New York Jets in disarray, firing head coach Robert Saleh five weeks into the season and general manager Joe Douglas in Week 12, Rodgers is bound to be ousted from New York next year.
Sports Illustrated’s Will Ragatz appraised Rodgers’ situation and entertained the potential for Rodgers to land with the Vikings for the 2025 season given the fallout in New York.
“Rodgers has one year left on his contract with a base salary of just $2.5 million. The Jets will have to eat a ton of dead signing bonus money if he isn’t their quarterback next year, but that’s not going to stop them from cutting or trading him and moving into a rebuild,” Ragatz wrote on November 19.
“What if the Vikings get Rodgers, go win a Super Bowl, and then hand things over to [J.J.] McCarthy — who will have just gotten to learn from one of the best QBs to ever play — a year later? The plan nearly worked with Favre in 2009, minus the young QB waiting in the wings.”
While some Vikings fans grimace at the thought of Rodgers wearing purple and gold after tormenting them for years with the Green Bay Packers, the same went for Favre before he led the Vikings to an NFC Championship.
Rodgers is one of the most cerebral quarterbacks ever to play and would thrive operating Kevin O’Connell‘s offense, which has averaged 341 yards of total offense in its last 19 games with Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall and Sam Darnold at quarterback.
“Imagine Rodgers, for one last ride, operating O’Connell’s offense and throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson behind an offensive line that will get Christian Darrisaw back from injury,” Ragatz added. “The Vikings could bring back his buddy Aaron Jones on another one-year deal to play running back. Maybe they even find a way to get Davante Adams. Paired with Brian Flores’ dominant defense, that team would be awfully hard to beat, as long as Rodgers can still play.”
While it may be unpleasant to think of it, a Super Bowl would be the ultimate revenge for Rodgers and the Vikings against their border rivals.
Vikings, Packers Beat Reporters Validate Aaron Rodgers to Minnesota Rumors
In light of the Jets firing Douglas, several reporters on both sides of the Minnesota-Wisconsin border validated that the possibility of Rodgers joining the Vikings is becoming a possibility.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert teased the topic, noting that the Vikings only have McCarthy under contract for the 2025 season and will be in the market for help in the quarterback room.
Packers radio host Andy Herman grounded the possibility in facts, calling it “actually crazy possible.”
We are way closer to Aaron Rodgers the Minnesota Viking than I think people realize. The scenario is actually crazy possible.
JJ McCarthy is the Vikings future QB, but he just had to have a second surgery on his knee… not ideal and he would be inheriting a very good team as a rookie QB who probably isn’t quite ready and is coming off a major injury in 2025.
Meanwhile, Sam Darnold has every right to want to demand a long term deal from his next team – something the Vikings may not be willing to do given that JJ McCarthy is in fact their next franchise QB.
What the Vikings would need would be a one-year stop gap QB while McCarthy sits and gets ready for one more year.
And look who would just happen to be available…
