There's no doubt that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold had a great season, making his first Pro Bowl while completing 361-of-545 passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 102.5 passer rating.
However, he opted to sign a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks, meaning the Vikings' starting quarterback going into 2025 could be J.J. McCarthy, their No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, instead of that being the case, Greg Auman of Fox Sports predicts that Minnesota will bring in 10-time Pro Bowler and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
"Seeing how well the Vikings have ramped up both sides of the line of scrimmage this week, you wonder if they have the confidence to put a talented team coming off a 13-win season in the hands of an unproven young quarterback in J.J. McCarthy," Auman wrote. "Rodgers probably needs to ratchet down his salary expectations. After all, is the priority to make a lot more money, or finish his legacy on the upswing?"
This scenario has already been speculated about for some time, with Dianna Russini of The Athletic even reporting that Rodgers "is intrigued by the idea of playing in Minnesota."
The 41-year-old quarterback did have solid numbers for the Jets in 2024, completing 368-of-584 passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 90.5 passer rating.
However, those are mostly a tick down from what Darnold produced, and it questions whether Rodgers would be able to elevate the Vikings offense, which in 2024 ranked ninth in points per game (25.4) and 12th in total yards per game (346.9).
Related: Vikings Receive Major Roster News After Missing Out On $75 Million QB
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This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 7:46 AM.