Go on—you can cross off one potential landing spot for first-time free agent Aaron Rodgers. His dream of following the Brett Favre route stops in New York. Rodgers, who reportedly had the desire to return to the NFC North for the Vikes, has since been served with a brutal rejection. Once NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday that the Vikings are “not pursuing Rodgers.” And have effectively refused to entertain any trade offers for their 10th overall pick, JJ McCarthy. It’s crystal clear that the Vikings are sticking with McCarthy as their projected starter. But what’s the actual reason they suddenly woke up and slammed the door shut on Rodgers’ face?
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has since revealed the real reason why the Vikings gave up on Rodgers. Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Fowler whisperers apparently said that the Vikings are “committed to J.J. McCarthy’s development. So because of that, they knew he’s going to be the franchise quarterback.” But it was not before some deep discussions that the Vikings eventually decided to say no to Rodgers.
As Fowler further added, “Do we need to play J.J. and make him the guy in year two?..Or do we get somebody to step in here for a year?.. Do we plug into Rodgers for a year and then go to McCarthy after that?.. They ultimately decided in part because of what McCarthy showed last offseason, last training camp and some limited preseason action before he got hurt. They were really impressed. So they want to ride that out in the spring. See if he can build off that, and they expect him to.”
Why did the @Vikings ultimately pass on Aaron Rodgers?#NFL #NFLDraft #SKOL pic.twitter.com/j0N29CWdge
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 20, 2025
But it’s not all doom and gloom for Aaron Rodgers. Fowler also stated that the Steelers are still waiting for Rodgers, who has a standing offer on the table.
The post NFL Insider Reveals Why Vikings Finally Gave Up on Aaron Rodgers While Steelers Continue to be Top Landing Spot appeared first on EssentiallySports.
