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Star Tribune Bangs the Drum for ‘You Know Who’ as Vikings Next QB
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- Star Tribune Bangs the Drum for ‘You Know Who’ as Vikings Next QB
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers claimed several months ago that 2025 would likely be his final season in the NFL, but, unsurprisingly, after his Pittsburgh Steelers lost in the playoffs last week, the 42-year-old said his future would remain mysterious. And anytime Rodgers is available for the taking, he piques the attention of the Vikings rumor mill.
Rodgers rumor season never really died, and a single column revived it.
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That happened as recently as this week, as Star Tribune 's Michael Rand pounded the table for Rodgers as a free-agent option to Minnesota .
Aaron Rodgers -to-Vikings Chatter Keeps Returning
Here we go again: Rodgers to the Vikings could be a thing once again.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stands at the center of a pregame huddle with teammates before kickoff on Sep 11, 2016, at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. The scene captured an early-season road atmosphere as Green Bay prepared to open the regular season with focus and urgency against Jacksonville. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The Case, According to Michael Rand
It's that time again — time to connect Rodgers to Minnesota's offseason.
Rand got the party started Monday, writing, "We need to start with an obvious question: If Rodgers, who is a free agent, eventually decides he wants to play another year would it make sense for the Vikings to be in the mix? We know that he was interested in playing for Minnesota in 2025 but that the Vikings opted to put their full trust in J.J. McCarthy ."
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"In hindsight, that might have seemed wise for the Vikings to sign Rodgers to play in 2025. But they also knew they needed more information on and reps for McCarthy. Plus they were coming off a 14-3 season. At this point in his career, Rodgers is not playing like an elite QB who would take a team to the Super Bowl."
Rodgers ranked as the league's 20th-best quarterback in 2025 per EPA+CPOE .
"He probably wasn't the right fit for 2025, even if he might have lifted the Vikings into the playoffs. To me, though, it might make more sense in 2026," Rand continued.
"While it feels more likely that the Vikings would bolster their QB room with someone who could compete with McCarthy for the starting job and not displace him for a year, the Vikings could also decide that McCarthy is young and raw enough that he needs a full year of refinement behind the scenes."
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It is unclear whether Rodgers would accept a QB2 role in the Twin Cities, so the circus about him taking the QB1 job would fully engulf several months of the offseason if the Vikings signed him.
Mike Tomlin's Resignation Thickens the Plot
Rodgers hinted in most of the 2025 calendar year that he would retire after his first season in Pittsburgh , a fair action for a 42-year-old. But when his team lost — rather embarrassingly — to the Houston Texans last weekend, he wouldn't commit to retirement, instead saying he wanted the emotion of the loss to leave before he made a decision.
A couple of days later, Mike Tomlin resigned. In theory, Rodgers probably had a better chance of returning to the Steelers had Tomlin stayed. What new head coach wants to start his first season on a new team with an elderly quarterback who insists the whole show revolves around him? Probably none.
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Therefore, with a return to Pittsburgh unlikely, the Vikings will be a natural landing spot in the eyes of many if Rodgers is not ready to retire.
SI.com 's Ethen Hutton also wrote this week, "A star-studded Minnesota Vikings offense struggled without consistent quarterback production in 2025. Minnesota's passing attack ranked 29th in the NFL this season, leading the league in interceptions as a collective."
"The offense featured several starters under center throughout the season, with J.J. McCarthy , Carson Wentz , and Max Brosmer each notching starts. After an inconsistent campaign from McCarthy, the team is expected to bring in a signal-caller this season. Rodgers could fit such a billing, suiting up in a vastly improved situation with the Vikings. "
Last Year's Rumor Mill
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Last offseason, the Rodgers-to-Vikings rumor mill was deafening. In March and April, it dominated most things Vikings, so much so that some fans made it their identity. Reporters insisted that both parties were interested in each other, at least to a new degree, but Minnesota later outwardly committed to J.J. McCarthy, traded for Sam Howell during the draft, and signed rookie passer Max Brosmer .
Rodgers later signed with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers arrives at Acrisure Stadium prior to kickoff against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov 16, 2025, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The pregame moment showed Rodgers entering a new chapter with Pittsburgh as cameras followed his routine and body language before a late-season matchup under steady national attention. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Over the last few months, media members asked Rodgers and the Vikings' leaders if the smoke was real, and all parties downplayed the rumors, claiming nothing really got off the ground.
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The Vikings' Ceiling with Rodgers?
What if Minnesota signed Rodgers? How far could the franchise climb in 2026? Well, the Steelers provided a blueprint. Pittsburgh finished 10-7, Rodgers played like the 20th-best quarterback in the NFL by the numbers, and then the Texans eviscerated the Steelers in Round 1 of the postseason. If the goal was to reach the playoffs, the Rodgers experiment did the trick.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers jogs onto the field before kickoff against the New England Patriots on Sep 21, 2025, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The entrance highlighted Rodgers' adjusted role and presentation with Pittsburgh as the team prepared for a road test in New England that afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Entering his age-43 season, Rodgers likely won't improve, so Minnesota's ceiling in 2026 with Rodgers would probably be a playoff appearance.
Most longtime Vikings fans are no longer excited about getting to the postseason and losing right away. The goal is a Super Bowl . Rodgers doesn't really bring that upside anymore.
