It appears the future of Aaron Rodgers's NFL career is up to one person. And it's not the four-time NFL MVP.
The Athletic's Michael Silver, Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis reported Saturday that Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has "the biggest sway" over Rodgers's future on the gridiron.
According to The Athletic, Rodgers "is hoping" to sign with Minnesota. Although the Vikings would make an organizational decision on whether or not to add Rodgers to their quarterbacks room with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, owners Zygi and Mark Wilf as well as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will "defer" to O'Connell's decision.
Additionally, if the Vikings decline to offer a contract to the 41-year-old quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants remain as two teams interested in signing Rodgers. But according to The Athletic, it's possible Rodgers could opt for retirement instead of signing with Pittsburgh or New York.
Rodgers had a rough two-year stint with the New York Jets, missing all but four offensive snaps due to a torn Achilles in 2023 and winning just five games in '24. He appeared to find a bit of a rhythm late in the 2024 season with the Jets, throwing for nine touchdowns in the final five games, but Rodgers still finished the year with stats well below his career average—a 90.5 passer rating with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
After letting quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency, the Vikings appear ready to hand the keys to their franchise to McCarthy, who they selected with the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft. But McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to a pair of knee surgeries, and Minnesota could bring in Rodgers to give the Michigan product another full year to learn on the sidelines.
Minnesota's decision likely comes down to how close the organization believes McCarthy is to developing into the franchise quarterback they drafted him to be. And nobody reportedly holds more weight in that decision than O'Connell, the 2024 AP NFL Coach of the Year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Rodgers 'Hoping' to Sign With Vikings, but Decision Is Mostly Up to One Person.
