Could it really happen again?
When Aaron Rodgers joined the New York Jets in 2023, following in the footsteps of his former Packers mentor, Brett Favre, many people joked that Rodgers would eventually complete his Favre arc by winding up in Minnesota. While a fun proposition, that seemed unlikely due to the Vikings’ quarterback situation over the past two years – until now.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, recent events in the league’s quarterback carousel have created a legitimate possibility that Rodgers “could be in play” for the Vikings.
Rodgers is still under contract with the Jets, but the team officially announced its intention to part ways with him in February. The expectation is that he will soon be released with a post-June 1 designation, although nothing is official yet.
The latest Rodgers link is the result of a series of dominoes.
On Friday, the Raiders traded for Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (which, in a side plot, revealed that the Jets’ third-round pick is 19 spots higher than everybody thought). As a result, Seattle is now expected to pursue Sam Darnold in free agency, resulting in a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that Darnold is “not expected” to return to Minnesota and that the team is “focused on other options.”
As reported by Pelissero and Garafolo, the Vikings are interested in re-signing Daniel Jones. However, Jones is “mulling multiple opportunities,” per Pelissero. According to Garafolo, if Jones does not remain in Minnesota, that would open the door for Rodgers to become an option.
The Vikings are committed to J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback of the future, who they selected 10th overall in the 2024 draft. However, McCarthy missed his entire rookie year with a torn meniscus. McCarthy’s absence led to the shocking breakout of Darnold, who had the NFL’s sixth-best passer rating (102.5) and fifth-most passing touchdowns (35).
The Jets’ central role in all of this drama is amusing. Darnold and Smith were drafted by New York and did not begin tapping into their potential until long after they left the Jets. The Raiders (led by former Jets head coach Pete Carroll) acquired Smith using a pick they received from the Jets in exchange for Davante Adams. Seattle wants to replace Smith with Darnold. Now, the Vikings might replace Darnold with Rodgers, who would be mimicking the career path of yet another former Jets quarterback, who was also his former mentor in Green Bay.
Get all of that?
Some say the NFL is scripted, but let’s be honest: Even the most talented scribes in Hollywood could not pen some of this stuff.
