New Report Reveals Aaron Rodgers' Pitch to Vikings

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared more about what was going on behind the scenes with the Vikings’ decisions at quarterback. The conversation first started with two quarterbacks who were set to be free agents: Darnold and Daniel Jones.

“They wanted to respect the year Darnold had and discussed a run-it-back scenario with the 28-year-old," Breer said. "Darnold found another team, in Seattle, willing to give him the chance to be a multi-year answer, so the Vikings made a strong offer to Jones, who joined the team in November. They pitched him on competing with tools around him to revive his career, but Jones preferred a fresh start without the Darnold comp hanging over him, and perhaps a better shot to start with the Indianapolis Colts.”

This opened the door to where Rodgers would come into the picture. Breer depicts the pitch Rodgers made to the Vikings to join the team for 2025.

“Which is where Rodgers entered the equation. When the four-time MVP reached out to the Vikings, with the idea of making a one-year run at a Lombardi and tying it to being a willing mentor for McCarthy, the team felt it had to listen. The proposition, of course, was different than the other two—they’d be jamming the pause button on the idea of playing McCarthy, rather than generating competition and multiple quarterback options.”

The 41-year-old quarterback is coming off a rough season with the New York Jets, which went 5-12. Rodgers completed just 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns, to 11 interceptions.

Minnesota's active roster only includes McCarthy and Brett Rypien as quarterbacks. The Vikings will decide who else to bring in as the third quarterback by April 28th.

While Rodgers is linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency rumors, the Vikings will most likely stay in the conversation until Rodgers makes his decision. Minnesota seems solid on starting the future now with McCarthy as the starter.