Vikings Warned Against Adding 10-Time Pro Bowl QB After Daniel Jones’ Departure

By tomorrow, the Minnesota Vikings will no longer employ Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones or Nick Mullens, which means two things: J.J. McCarthy is now the clear frontrunner to start in 2025, and the franchise needs to find a viable backup QB for him in the days ahead.

One name analysts have frequently tied to the Vikings is that of Aaron Rodgers, a 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion who has started for both the Green Bay Packers and, more recently, the New York Jets.

However, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN spoke out strongly against the idea of Minnesota signing Rodgers on the March 11 edition of “Get Up.”

“That would be a mistake by the Minnesota Vikings. You’ve made the decision, the determination, to allow Sam Darnold to go. You’ve now declared, ‘Listen, this is more than likely J.J. McCarthy’s football team, and we want it to be J.J. McCarthy’s football team,'” Orlovsky said. “Aaron comes with a lot. Whether people like it or not, it’s a lot. Do not bring that into your building. Do not bring that into your football team. You’re handing the keys over to a young player and saying, ‘This is going to be your opportunity. Lead us forward.’ And bringing Aaron Rodgers in is going to hinder that in some capacity, stunt that in some capacity.”

Aaron Rodgers Arguably Makes Vikings Super Bowl Contenders in 2025

The argument for Rodgers is that he is an established player who, despite being 41 years old, threw for 3,900 yards last season and 28 TDs compared to 11 INTs.

Cornerback Sauce Gardner, Rodgers’ former teammate with the Jets, speculated that Rodgers might be the top passer in the league were he to land with the Vikings given the team’s skill position talent.

Minnesota won 14 games last year with Darnold at the helm, and one can make a strong case that a healthy Rodgers at 75-80% of his MVP form flanked by the Vikings offensive roster has an even higher ceiling — particularly in the playoffs.

The problem is the inherent drama that has followed Rodgers both on and off the field, which has included public personality clashes with teammates and coaches, a scheduled weekly interview with “The Pat McAfee Show” that often leads to headlines and polarizing positions on political and cultural issues that take the conversation around Rodgers away from football.

All of that, plus a potential impediment to McCarthy’s development and sense of security with the team, makes for a strong argument against Rodgers coming to Minnesota.

Aaron Rodgers Will Have Multiple Options Even if Vikings Don’t Pursue Him

Rodgers is likely to have multiple options, including chances to potentially start for the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants.

That said, a chance to start in Minnesota would almost certainly interest Rodgers more than the Giants job. New York won three games last season and doesn’t appear close to playoff contention heading into this campaign, though teams have been able to make impress one-year moves before — for instance, the Washington Commanders last season.

The Steelers are in a much better position from a roster standpoint after making the playoffs last year and adding star wide receiver DK Metcalf via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Even still, Minnesota is probably the superior situation for any quarterback. And if the Vikings are open to giving Rodgers a chance to start, then it isn’t impossible to see a one-year union materializing.