“Is He Trying to Do What Brett Favre Did?”: Chad Johnson On Aaron Rodgers Delaying His Free Agency Decision

Alabama – the country music band – has a famous song titled, “I’m in A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why).” While most NFL players rush and rush to sign as quickly as possible in free agency, Aaron Rodgers is taking his sweet time.

It has been an entire week since the league’s legal tampering period opened. The free agency itself has been open for five days. According to Spotrac, 313 players have signed new contracts. And Rodgers isn’t one of them, but he’s fine with that. In fact, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes Rodgers isn’t “in any hurry” to sign. He thinks the four-time MVP may not put pen to paper until the 2025 NFL Draft is completed.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: Two years ago, we all were still talking about Aaron Rodgers during NFL Draft week. Could history repeat itself? pic.twitter.com/Wg932uKNOv

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2025

Rodgers’ reported lack of urgency reportedly stems from his desire to play for the Minnesota Vikings. Once Chad Johnson learned this information on Nightcap, he couldn’t help but draw parallels to Rodgers’ former predecessor: Brett Favre.

“Is he trying to do the same thing that Brett Favre did? It seems he’s trying to go in the same footsteps as Brett Favre,” claimed Ocho.

Favre, originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991, got traded to the Green Bay Packers in 1992. He then played 16 seasons for Green Bay before joining the New York Jets. After one year there, he went to the Vikings.

Rodgers, unlike Favre, was drafted by the Packers. But beyond that, they’ve followed similar trajectories. Rodgers spent 18 years with Green Bay and has been a Jet for the past two campaigns. If he lands in Minnesota, his career arc will almost perfectly mirror Favre’s.

Should the Vikings roll with Aaron Rodgers or J.J. McCarthy?

Multiple sources have indicated Rodgers signing in Minnesota is entirely up to head coach Kevin O’Connell. The NFL’s 2024 Coach of the Year’s decision isn’t easy, though, because of J.J. McCarthy’s presence.

McCarthy, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, showed tremendous promise in brief preseason action last year. But he tore his meniscus in that appearance, which caused him to miss the entire campaign.

Every dropback from J.J. McCarthy’s #Vikings preseason debut today. 11 of 17, 188 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 18 rushing yards. pic.twitter.com/unJUge9xIG

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 11, 2024

The Vikings unexpectedly went 14-3 a season ago. They didn’t advance in the postseason, but were legitimate Super Bowl contenders. And outside of the quarterback position, the rest of their roster is better than it was in 2024. With good quarterback play, they’ll be in position to compete for the Lombardi Trophy once again.

Does Rodgers or McCarthy give Minnesota a better chance to win a Super Bowl LIX? That’s the question O’Connell is currently pondering. To Johnson, the choice is clear after witnessing the magic O’Connell has created with the Seattle Seahawks’ new quarterback.

“You see what Sam Darnold was able to do… if we can get just a flash, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have to be Aaron Rodgers of old. Not with that kind of talent around him… [McCarthy can] sit back one more year. And if Aaron Rodgers is playing bad, you plug him in,” Chad Johnson concluded.

Like Johnson alluded to, Rodgers is no longer the superstar he once was. But his 2024 season, as bad as it was by his established standard, was truly not a terrible year. Under O’Connell, he could easily play at a throwback level and carry the Vikings to Valhalla. Whether that chance is worth hitting the pause button on McCarthy’s development is what O’Connell and Minnesota must decide in the coming weeks.