It has been a full week since Aaron Rodgers visited with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he still has not signed with the team. While that may happen eventually, there is one specific reason Rodgers might be content to wait several more months.
Rodgers at one point was said to be holding out hope that the Minnesota Vikings would want to sign him. The Vikings have since made it clear that they are committed to JJ McCarthy. Though, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Wednesday would not totally rule out the possibility of pursuing Rodgers down the road.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic discussed the Rodgers situation during the latest episode of her “Scoop City” podcast, which was released on Thursday. She reiterated that Minnesota is Rodgers’ top choice and said it is “very much a real thing” that the Vikings have not closed the door on the former MVP.
Russini also spoke about how there is no way for the Vikings to know at this time if McCarthy will be ready to start in Week 1 next season.
“JJ McCarthy has not been told he’s the starter. He has not been told he’s the No. 1 guy. Even before Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold walked away, it was always discussed that it would be a competition this summer,” Russini said. “So, they’re not telling him anything. That is also telling to me. They don’t know. How could they know? He’s coming off injury. They need to see it. … There is a world that exists this year where Aaron Rodgers hangs out and the Minnesota Vikings pick up the phone and they make the call. It could happen.”
According to @DMRussini, it was “always discussed,” even before Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold departed, that it would be a competition for the #Vikings this summer at the QB position. Russini still says there’s a world where Rodgers waits for Minnesota to pick up the phone:
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) March 28, 2025
🎥:… pic.twitter.com/pBluLe7MIU
McCarthy is coming off a torn meniscus that cost him his entire rookie season. The former Michigan star confirmed this week that the Vikings have given him no assurances he will be the team’s starter at the beginning of 2025.
The Steelers are going to want to move forward at some point. They already lost their Plan B when Russell Wilson signed with the New York Giants on Tuesday. The real question is whether Rodgers cares.
It is entirely possible that Rodgers is so set on playing for Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings that he is willing to wait until training camp to see where things stand with McCarthy. If Minnesota still has no interest at that point, Rodgers can simply retire. The 41-year-old may already be considering that option, anyway.
