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Aaron Rodgers landing spots: Steelers, Giants, Vikings best fits
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- Aaron Rodgers landing spots: Steelers, Giants, Vikings best fits
Aaron Rodgers is in a familiar spot as the official start of free agency nears – the darkness.
The Jets are set to release Rodgers after the NFL's new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter . For salary cap purposes, the Jets are designating the quarterback as a post-June 1 cut.
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Rodgers' NFL career hangs in the balance, with no certain path forward for the 41-year-old quarterback closer to retirement than his prime in what is a tale as old as time.
Father Time eventually comes for all.
Rodgers is racing the clock, looking to win a battle that no one has ever won before. It was just two years ago that the quarterback emerged from his famous darkness retreat, ironically looking to save a New York Jets franchise that has been in the dark for over half a century.
The experiment failed miserably in record time as Rodgers tore his Achilles just four plays into the first regular season game for the green-and-white. The comeback in his second year didn't go much better.
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Now the Jets are hitting the reset button, again, while Rodgers ponders whether it's worth lacing up the cleats or not in 2025.
Free agency won't bring too many win-now options for the Super Bowl-starved Rodgers. His quest for a second may ultimately fall short, but that won't stop him from giving it a shot. Here's a look at which jersey the four-time MVP might end up in next season.
Aaron Rodgers landing spots
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steel City might just be the most likely landing spot for Rodgers, given their ability to win in 2025. They just traded for DK Metcalf , adding to an offense that was in desperate need of some upgrades. Already armed with a defense that dragged them to the postseason last year, the Steelers need a game-changer at quarterback.
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It feels unlikely that Rodgers will suddenly regain his form next season, but he might just have the best ceiling out of all the options available to them. Russell Wilson clearly isn't the man for the job and no rookie, in this draft class, is going to lead Pittsburgh to a Lombardi in February. Another year removed from the Achilles injury, the Steelers can bet on Rodgers, while potentially drafting a quarterback that can take over when he retires.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, this is not the year to need a quarterback.
New York Giants
This is probably a two-horse race between the Steelers and Giants for Rodgers' services next season. While Pittsburgh offers a chance to potentially compete, New York wins with familiarity. As MetLife Stadium's other tenant, the Giants offer Rodgers a chance to continue living the life he began building in the tri-state area two years ago.
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The Giants aren't in win-now mode in terms of winning a Super Bowl, but actually to save Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen from getting fired. That has left the head coach and general manager duo with a Herculean task ahead of them this offseason and they are spending like it. The Giants have dished out plenty of money so far in free agency, the third-most of any team with $192.2 million at the time of publishing, according to OverTheCap . Adding Rodgers brings some credibility to an organization still on the hunt for a quarterback after Eli Manning 's departure.
It also somewhat satisfies an increasingly impatient owner and fanbase. Whether the potential move translates to wins is anyone's guess, but Giants fans could at least celebrate the idea of Mr. Rodgers moving into Malik Nabers' neighborhood for a season.
Minnesota Vikings
It's a long shot, but anything is possible. Rodgers electing to follow in the footsteps of Brett Favre would be fascinating, while also representing his best chance to win. The difference is, the 2009 Vikings didn't have a highly-drafted quarterback waiting in the wings.
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With Sam Darnold , Daniel Jones and others off the list of quarterback options for Minnesota, signing Rodgers can't be ruled out. Just don't consider the move to be likely. NFL fans that enjoyed watching Rodgers would probably jump at the idea of him joining a team loaded with talent on offense, especially given the chance to ride off into the sunset.
However, this is J.J. McCarthy's team and the Vikings have given no indication of them thinking otherwise. Until Rodgers signs on the dotted line somewhere, it's hard to rule out Minnesota getting involved.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Rodgers best fits: Giants, Steelers, Vikings top landing spots
