Tick Tock Says the Clock as Vikings Get Roped into NFL QB Controversy
Already, Aaron Rodgers is causing some trouble for the Vikings, at least in terms of online kerfuffles.
A chorus of NFL insiders connected him to Minnesota prior to legal tampering getting going. The basic gist of these updates revolved around a hypothetical: Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones depart, thus leaving the door ajar for Rodgers to become Minnesota’s veteran competition for J.J. McCarthy.
Fast forward a few days. Darnold and Jones are both gone; Rodgers remains in limbo, apparently flirting with a few different teams (as Dustin Baker discusses while responding to a quote from Dan Graziano).
Now, remember that Minnesota wants, nay, needs a veteran. Consider what Tom Pelissero previously said on the matter: “Last year’s first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, is expected to be cleared to practice this spring after missing his rookie season because of meniscus surgery. With Darnold on the way out, McCarthy’s time could be coming sooner than later. But they still want to add a veteran.” Is that veteran going to be Rodgers?
Aaron Rodgers, J.J. McCarthy, & The Vikings’ QB Controversy
Keep in mind that there are some rumblings of internal disagreement about the best way to proceed at quarterback inside TCO Performance Center.
Michael Silver writes, “In the Vikings’ organization, Kevin O’Connell’s opinion carries the most weight when it comes to QB decisions. There are some very interesting conversations taking place right now.” Kevin Seifert noticed that update, responding, “My antenna is up as well.” Maybe, just maybe, there’s some in-house debate occurring when it comes to Rodgers.
(Did anyone else find it weird that Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had separate end-of-season press conferences after a couple years of sitting side-by-side for that presser?).
Potential disagreement between decision makers aside, there is some fairly passionate debate taking place online about Aaron Rodgers ending up with the Vikings.
Consider Exhibit A:
And Exhibit B:
(For the record, Clark and Orlovsky are right).
Goodness, even Brett Favre has jumped into the conversation.
Consider what the former Packers, Jets, and Vikings QB says about the former Packers and Jets QB: “By all means, sign with them. They got a really good football team. They’re loaded at pretty much every position.” Favre continues: “That’s what makes it such a great rivalry. I got to see it from both sides. It made me appreciate both sides even more. If he gets an opportunity, why not?”
As previously discussed, I require zero convincing that Rodgers would be interested in becoming the Vikings’ new QB.
The basic idea that Aaron Rodgers could look at the setup in Minnesota and want in isn’t at all far-fetched. What veteran passer who is chasing another ring wouldn’t want to toss the ball to Justin Jefferson while playing in top-tier facilities for a first-rate coaching staff? Yes, the playoff exit stung, but we’re still talking about a 14-3 team that had Sam Darnold leading things.
Moving to Minnesota would arguably give him the most talented collection of pass catchers he’s ever had alongside an offensive mastermind in Kevin O’Connell calling the shots (which is to say nothing of the respect that Wes Phillips and Josh McCown command). Helping matters, at least from Rodgers’ perspective, is that there are a pair of excellent offensive tackles and the return of Aaron Jones, his former teammate in Green Bay. Gotta think he would love the talent around him.
Again, some people think the Aaron Rodgers possibility is precisely that: a genuine possibility.
Seifert, in response to Dan Barreiro, writes, “Did my best today to balance Dan’s ferocious hope for an Aaron Rodgers signing, my history of trolling and the reality that … it’s not out of the question. It would be absurd, preposterous and culture-changing, and still more unlikely than likely, but it has not been ruled out.”
Furthermore, Seifert claims, “There is also the small matter of finding a QB to pair with J.J. McCarthy, and yes, the range of candidates is wide enough to include Aaron Rodgers.”
Kevin O’Connell appreciates excellent quarterback play. Few, if any, have ever possessed more talent to play the position than Aaron Rodgers. He’s a Super Bowl champion and has won MVP four times. He’s a four-time first-team All Pro and ten-time Pro Bowler. When the time comes, Rodgers will get into the Hall of Fame on the first try.
Whether Aaron Rodgers makes sense to pursue as a one-year solution, though, remains to be seen. Throughout all of the rumblings, I’ve believed that the Vikings won’t sign Rodgers, but we’ll soon learn what’s actually going to take place.
Minnesota still has a decent bit of cap space; Rodgers has made more than $380 million in his career. McCarthy recently turned 22; Rodgers will hit 42 in December.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.