The Minnesota Vikings are currently in the middle of a highly important offseason for the future direction of the franchise. Minnesota has already let quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency after his disastrous performance in the playoffs vs the Los Angeles Rams, and the general thought is that the team will hand the reigns to former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy this year.
Of course, that isn’t stopping the Vikings’ brass from exploring any and all options in this free agency period, which includes Aaron Rodgers, who was recently released by the New York Jets.
Recently, NFL insider Mike Florio of NBC Sports’ Pro Football talk broke down the Vikings’ stance on the situation.
“The Vikings are not pursuing veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers “at this time… Given that many reacted to the news as a closing of the door on Rodgers, the Vikings have leaked clarification. They could revisit Rodgers later in the offseason,” reported Florio.
Florio then clarified that “second-year first-rounder J.J. McCarthy will lead the offense in the offseason program. If he checks the boxes and looks to be the best option, he’ll continue to be the QB1. If things go sideways, Rodgers could become the emergency option.”
An important decision for the Vikings
Sam Darnold took many by surprise this past season after he was inserted into the starting lineup following McCarthy’s injury and led the Vikings to having one of the most productive offenses in the entire NFL landscape.
However, all the while there were questions about just how much of Minnesota’s success could be attributed to Darnold’s play, and how much was a result of the team’s impressive skill positional talent and well-designed system. With Darnold’s poor performance in the playoffs, it was probably a bit easier for the team to watch him walk in free agency.
Aaron Rodgers didn’t appear to have much left in the tank during the Jets’ disastrous 2024 season, although he would certainly benefit from playing alongside a talent like Justin Jefferson.
At this point, however, the more likely scenario appears to be that the starting job will be McCarthy’s.
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