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Schefter Still Believes in Aaron Rodgers to Vikings
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- Schefter Still Believes in Aaron Rodgers to Vikings
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It's Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine , which is the first day that Minnesota Vikings scouts, executives and coaches will get to see 2026 draft prospects workout down in Indianapolis .
Of course, most of the league's top reporters have been in Indy for days already, trying to meet with contacts throughout the league. The NFL combine may have started back in 1982 as a place for teams to get a look at the best college football players in that year's draft class.
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
But for quite a while now, it's morphed into the one event where NFL executives get a lay of the land on what other teams are trying to do with their offseason. Oftentimes, these executives meet with on another directly. Other times, trusted reporters act as conduits of information.
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That's why we always get a big drop of MN Vikings news and rumors , this time of year. When Friday rolls around, NFL teams will depart Indianapolis feeling better about their own offseason plans, based on the information floating around Indianapolis while they were there.
Adam Schefter watching for Aaron Rodgers + Minnesota Vikings (again)
And that is what made a short clip tweeted out by Adam Schefter early this morning so interesting. In the latest episode of his podcast "The Adam Schefter Podcast" , the league's top media insider was asked about the possibility of Aaron Rodgers returning for his age 42 season , specifically in reference to the Pittsburgh Steelers .
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Schefter told his co-host Dan Stanczyk that, not only is it possible Rodgers plays in 2026, but that it's "more likely than not" he returns for a 22nd NFL season. However, Adam wasn't quite ready to name the Steelers as Aaron's team for a second-straight season, mostly because the Minnesota Vikings still need a QB .
Aaron Rodgers' decision about whether to return for his 22nd NFL season is expected sooner than last year and there is a belief it could come by mid March.
With @DanStanczyk :
🎧 https://t.co/QLUzfPp55h pic.twitter.com/HH8JtIDjg2— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 25, 2026
"It sounds like, and again it's Aaron Rodgers so you never fully know, but it sounds like he's more likely than not to be back [as of] today. I think the feeling is, he could be back with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But if we go back to last year, he wanted to play in Minnesota…that's the interesting one to me.
I don't know how Aaron Rodgers feels and I don't know exactly how the Vikings feel. They didn't want to [bring in Rodgers] last year because I think they were being protective of JJ McCarthy. Do they still feel the same way or is Aaron Rodgers more in the conversation?"
In hindsight, Aaron Rodgers knew what the Minnesota Vikings refused to admit last offseason. He was the perfect fit for what they needed in a 2025 starting quarterback.
Coming off a void rookie season that he missed while recovering from season-ending surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered in the 2024 preseason, JJ McCarthy was not ready for NFL football.
Vikings, JJ McCarthy could have used Aaron Rodgers last year
Unfortunately, the Vikings learned that reality the hard way — when the now 23-year-old started 10 of their 17 regular season games in 2025 and completed just 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
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Meanwhile, Rodgers signed with the Steelers — who waited for him to wait on the Vikings — and led a decent Pittsburgh team to a first round playoff loss, completing 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
AARON RODGERS WITH ONE OF THE MOST ELECTRIC CELLY AFTER HIS GAME-WINNING TOUCHDOWN PASS.
🥶🥶🥶
ICON.
pic.twitter.com/ggVgXbf8g1— MLFootball (@MLFootball) January 5, 2026
From all reports, he was the ultimate veteran professional — willing to teach and learn from younger players and constantly showing a new type of appreciation for his life as an NFL star and how close it is to ending.
Had he been in the Minnesota Vikings locker room last season, not only are the purple a 2025-26 playoff team, but JJ McCarthy would have had an entire season to learn from the best, both on the field and in front of a microphone — two areas JJ proved he needs A LOT of work in.
In 2026, not only could Rodgers be the best short-term cheap starting quarterback option for Minnesota, but he could be the best veteran choice for JJ McCarthy too. According to Schefter, Aaron is expected to make his decision in mid-March… though nothing is guaranteed when dealing with Rodgers.
"The feeling is [Rodgers] will be back. The feeling is, it should be mid-March. The feeling is, it should be Pittsburgh. Now that means he could retire tomorrow or wind up playing with the Vikings in the Spring. We don't really know exactly. I'm just telling you the general gist of what is being said out there right now."
This time last year, McCarthy was worried about losing his starting spot to whoever the Vikings brought in, something his representation made clear to Minnesota decisionmakers they were not ok with.
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Why Rodgers could make sense for MN Vikings and JJ McCarthy EVEN MORE in 2026
Now, I'd expect JJ and his people are more concerned with losing his job as the future Vikings franchise QB, than he is any short term spot on the depth chart. Based on his age, A-Rodg should have been out of the league years ago — even by star quarterback standards.
Thus, if he's the guy Kevin O'Connell decides to bring in, McCarthy can sleep peacefully at night knowing the starter in front of him will leave on his own accord after the season, at which point JJ would again become the overwhelming favorite to be Minnesota's starter yet again.
On the other hand, if the Vikings wind up trading for Mac Jones this offseason — or signing either Kyler Murray (if cut), Malik Willis , etc., then JJ McCarthy's status as Minnesota's "QB of the future" would be in serious jeopardy.
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In fact, it's quite possible that a trade for any of the above quarterbacks could mean JJ McCarthy is in a different city and wearing a different uniform, when NFL teams start to gather for training camp in July.
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