The Minnesota Vikings are widely expected to end up losing Sam Darnold this offseason. While there is still a chance that he could be re-signed, the most likely scenario is that he leaves town for a longer and more lucrative deal elsewhere.
If that does happen, the Vikings will have some big decisions to make.
Do they believe that J.J. McCarthy is ready to play? If they don't believe he should be the starter in 2025, which option do they turn to?
Kirk Cousins is a name that has been mentioned as a potential option. Now, there is another name emerging.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport briefly mentioned that Minnesota is a "dark horse" team when it comes to Aaron Rodgers in free agency.
Rodgers has already had a very similar career path to Brett Favre's. He was traded from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. The same happened with Favre.
After Favre parted ways with the Jets, he ended up becoming the Vikings' quarterback. Could the same happen with Rodgers?
On the outside looking in, Rodgers makes a lot of sense for Minnesota. He would be a nice bridge option to give McCarthy more time to develop on the sideline. Rodgers might only play one year with the Vikings before deciding to retire.
During the 2024 season in New York, Rodgers played in all 17 games just one year removed from a torn Achilles. He completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Even at 41 years old, Rodgers is capable of leading a team to the playoffs and on a postseason run. Minnesota could be the team that offers him a chance to do that and face off twice in 2025 against the Packers.
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This story was originally published March 8, 2025 at 10:41 AM.