Vikings Say “No” to Aaron Rodgers

Like they did in London, England last October the Minnesota Vikings have sacked Aaron Rodgers.

Only this time, it appears like Rodgers will not be able to complete the so-called Brett Favre prophecy, as the Vikes have decided to move forward with J.J. McCarthy as its starting quarterback, and will pursue another veteran to back him up, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.

This brings needed clarity to one of the quarterback conundrums a bit as Minnesota opted to give a vote of confidence to McCarthy, whom they drafted 10th overall in the NFL Draft just last year.

Things got derailed last season when McCarthy tore a meniscus in his right knee. Ex-Jet Sam Darnold assumed the starting job and led Minnesota to an improbable 14-win campaign, which earned Darnold a $110 million contract from the Seattle Seahawks.

As for Rodgers, the question is what's next? The Giants? The Steelers? Retirement?

All three have been floated about over the past several days.

A week ago, reports surfaced that Rodgers preferred the Vikings out of the three possible landing spots. Even Brett Favre was campaigning for Rodgers to go to Minnesota. If Rodgers didn't get what he wanted, he could end up opting for retirement.

It wouldn't be the first time that Rodgers has contemplated retirement. He did so in 2021, and again in 2023 before working out a trade with Green Bay that ultimately sent him to the New York Jets.

Of the two remaining suitors this year, the Steelers are the better option. Pittsburgh is closer to "winning" than the Giants are; not to mention a more stable situation. The Giants are in desperation mode with both Head Coach Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen on the proverbial hot seat. Does Rodgers want to join another New York club under such an intense microscope? It's hard to phantom.

The Giants, while seemingly willing to wait on Rodgers, have done their due diligence to look at other veteran options. They interviewed Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Jameis Winston. All three would bring slightly less drama to the club than would Rodgers.

Flacco and Winston have histories of being great teammates, and either would be a great fit for a Giants team that will likely be drafting a young quarterback at the top of the draft next month.

Wilson is a wild card. While not as much the drama-seeker as Rodgers is, Wilson still can be a challenge for a team. He had uneven stints at both Denver and Pittsburgh. He infamously didn't get along well at all with Sean Payton in 2023. Are Giants fans ready for the "Let's ride" and "Mr. Unlimited" memes? We'll see.

Still he's six-years younger than Rodgers and had plenty of success in the league himself, including winning a Super Bowl in Seattle. He's a borderline Hall of Famer. Wilson at the very least would keep the Giants competitive until a rookie is ready to take over.

Rodgers to Steelers?

And speaking of the Steelers, defensive end Cam Heyward made his feelings clear about Rodgers joining his team.

"I don't need that carp. Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't," Heyward said of Rodgers' darkness retreats.

It should be very interesting to see what Rodgers ultimately decides to do. If he joins the Steelers, Pittsburgh has both the Green Bay Packers and the Jets on its 2025 schedule; expect both games to happen early and get featured in either the 4:25 or primetime window.