Aaron Rodgers will be looking for a new home this offseason after the NY Jets made the decision to move on after a disappointing two-year stint. Finding a potential landing spot for Rodgers has been tricky, given the obvious baggage that comes with signing one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL histiry.
There have been various reports of interest from a number of teams, but on Saturday, a new contender emerged from the pack — and it might just be the funniest possible destination for the future Hall of Famer.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday that Sam Darnold is not expected to return to Minnesota, as the Seattle Seahawks have shifted their attention to the ex-Jets quarterback following the Geno Smith trade. All signs point to Darnold ending up in Seattle.
That leaves the Vikings without a veteran QB to pair with the young J.J. McCarthy. Rodgers is suddenly a very realistic and plausible target for the Vikings, meaning that he's closer than ever to completing the Brett Favre career arc.
Aaron Rodgers could pull a Brett Favre and sign with the Vikings after leaving the NY Jets
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported shortly after Pelissero's report that Rodgers "could be in play" for the Vikings now that Darnold officially won't return. Ian Rapoport later called the Vikings a "dark horse" for Rodgers. This isn't just speculation — there is legitimate smoke that Minnesota could sign its longtime rival.
Rodgers spent the first 18 years of his career facing the Vikings twice a year as a member of the Green Bay Packers. No team in the NFL has squared off against Rodgers more than Minnesota.
It would be a hilarious twist of football irony if Rodgers returned to the NFC North, this time as a member of his longtime hated rival. But funnily enough, this wouldn’t be the first time a quarterback has taken this exact career path.
Let's call it the Brett Favre arc. Favre famously spent 16 of the first 17 years of his career as a member of the Packers before leaving to join the Jets (following a brief retirement) in 2008. After one disappointed, injury-riddled season in New York, Favre signed with the Vikings.
Like Favre, Rodgers spent essentially his entire career in Green Bay and started one injury-riddled season with the Jets. Now, the idea of him following Favre’s exact career arc — jumping from Green Bay to New York and then to Minnesota — feels almost too ridiculous to be real.
Yet, here we are, with a legitimate chance that history could repeat itself in the most ironic way possible. If Rodgers does end up in Minnesota, it would cement one of the funniest and most bizarre QB career parallels in NFL history.
What once seemed like a humorous pipedream could be reality in the near future. Rodgers might be on his way back to the NFC North.
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