Aaron Rodgers Told Vikings They Are His Preferred Team
While speculation grows about Aaron Rodgers potentially joining the Steelers, the idea of him landing in Minnesota remains strong. For now, however, the Vikings are holding off on pursuing the veteran quarterback. Their priority is to give J.J. McCarthy the first opportunity to earn the starting role during offseason workouts. This creates a dilemma for Rodgers while also keeping the Steelers and Giants in a waiting game, possibly pressuring one of them to make a move. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Rodgers has directly informed the Vikings that they are his preferred destination.
At 41, Rodgers has been strategic in keeping his options open to maintain leverage. While he considers the Giants a viable landing spot, New York’s offer—believed to be the most lucrative one he has received—hasn’t resulted in a deal. The Steelers hosted Rodgers for a visit last Friday, but they have yet to improve their initial free-agency offer. Still, many around the league believe Pittsburgh remains the frontrunner to land him. However, Rodgers appears willing to wait for Minnesota rather than forcing a move to the Steelers.
If he does wait, comparisons to Brett Favre will inevitably surface. After the Packers traded Favre to the Jets in 2008, a contractual clause prevented him from signing with the Vikings immediately. When that restriction was lifted in 2009, Favre remained in free agency for more than three months before officially joining Minnesota on August 18. A year later, he similarly delayed his decision until mid-August. While the Giants and Steelers are unlikely to wait that long for Rodgers, the Vikings may be more patient, considering their commitment to evaluating McCarthy.
McCarthy has not been formally named the Vikings’ Week 1 starter, though he acknowledged in an interview with Kay Adams that the team has not promised him the job. With no veteran quarterback currently on the roster and Minnesota using the 10th overall pick on him, McCarthy is in prime position to start. The Vikings had made an offer to Daniel Jones earlier this offseason, which would have likely taken them out of the Rodgers sweepstakes, but Jones ultimately chose to sign with the Colts.
According to Seifert, the Vikings are keeping the door open for a potential Rodgers signing later this summer, likely after evaluating McCarthy in OTAs and minicamp. That would give the team roughly seven weeks to reconsider its stance, though Rodgers may have found a new team by then.
There have also been rumors suggesting Rodgers would only play for the Vikings or retire. While it’s not certain that he would suit up for the Steelers or Giants, Pittsburgh reportedly believes he would delay retirement to play for them. However, that would mean passing up a potential reunion with his preferred team, which could lead him to keep waiting. The Steelers might offer a clearer path to starting in 2025, but Rodgers’ patience suggests he is still holding out for Minnesota.
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