One might safely wonder if the Minnesota Vikings could insert nearly any competent quarterback into head coach Kevin O'Connell's system, and that quarterback would be elevated to good-to-great. No one, for instance, expected Sam Darnold to be good last season, and he had a terrific season. He was good enough to earn a big contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
That left the Vikings without a proven veteran quarterback and appeared to imply that second-year pro J.J. McCarthy will be QB1 in Week 1 of the 2025 season. McCarthy might have started at some point as a rookie, but he tore the meniscus in his right knee in a preseason game and missed the year.
Still, while McCarthy would seemingly be Darnold's heir apparent, rumors about former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers coming to the Vikings persist. Does Minnesota need Rodgers to be more successful than the team would be with McCarthy? Probably not, and Minnesota likely knows this.
Kevin O'Connell drops some truth about Aaron Rodgers potentially coming to the Vikings
According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, O'Connell spoke with local Minnesota reporters about the team's quarterback situation. The coach admitted to speaking with Rodgers, but any hopes of the quarterback landing with the Vikings are likely a pipe dream. The team is almost certain to move forward with McCarthy and hope for the best.
O'Connell said, "You're constantly...evaluating all of the opportunities that may be out there. And certainly that was one that I found to be interesting just because it speaks to what our place has kind of turned into for quarterbacks. But at the same time, we've had a quarterback plan in place with J.J. McCarthy and really like where he's at in that journey right now and looking forward to getting the offseason program going with him."
Plus, let's be honest. At this point in his career, Rodgers might not be the best kind of teammate. He skipped mandatory minicamp with the Jets last year because he wanted to vacation in Egypt. He acted more like a top pitcher who only played every fifth day and did not need to build rapport with his teammates.
Of course, under O'Connell, who has much better control of his team's culture than former Jets coach Robert Saleh had in New York, Rodgers might act differently. Maybe he becomes a team leader and model teammate, but why take the risk?
The Vikings are a well-built team, and McCarthy has time to learn and grow at his position. Rodgers would only stunt his growth by taking up at least a year of McCarthy's career. In three years, McCarthy will still be playing while Rodgers will be done. The future for the Vikings is now with McCarthy.
Thankfully, Kevin O'Connell said as much. Minnesota football fans should be happy with his answer to the Rodgers question.