The long wait might be nearing a close for NFL fans who still care about Aaron Rodgers. The once-great quarterback is indeed finishing his career by bouncing around the league, just as many former greats have finished their career. One might wonder why Rodgers still wants to play, but he at least seemingly will not be playing ever for the Minnesota Vikings.
That is, at least according to a conversation between the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Pat McAfee on a recent episode of McAfee's eponymous podcast. The discussion centered around how much Rodgers might expect to make, and the number was seemingly less than $40 million. However, the team he would likely be signing with was the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers need a quarterback while the Vikings do not. Minnesota drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. He hasn't yet had a chance to play due to a knee injury he suffered in the preseason last year. In other words, the Vikings have not seen him succeed or fail yet.
Vikings fans can get ready to rejoice as Aaron Rodgers seems destined for the Steelers
The team will almost certainly give him a couple of years to fail before trying to replace him.
He has a strong arm, doesn't turn the ball over, and has good athleticism. He was also a fantastic leader in college at Michigan. There is no reason to expect he will be less of a leader with Minnesota.
The only fun part about adding Aaron Rodgers would be if he defeated the Green Bay Packers several times. Sure, that would be a personal vengeance for the quarterback, but it is always fun to beat an NFC North rival. But that is a shallow emotion compared to what is best for the Vikings in the long run. Going with McCarthy is by far the more intelligent move than bringing on Rodgers.
None of that ultimately matters, most likely. Rodgers will probably sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers eventually, or maybe not find a home. He is possibly weighing retiring, but he might also get some weird happiness from knowing a team is waiting for him to make a decision. Some people need to have a sense of power over others.
Rodgers was that way with the New York Jets when he showed up when he wanted. Minnesota does not need that kind of distraction in the locker room. McCarthy, though he has yet to play a real down, is a better fit for the Vikings than Aaron Rodgers would ever be.