At 41, not many NFL teams are eager to bring Aaron Rodgers on board. Despite reports of the Pittsburgh Steelers considering A-Rod, nothing has materialized into a deal yet. And with the 2025 NFL Draft fast approaching, the four-time Super Bowl winner might have to wait even longer to find his new home.
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Another proffered spot was Minnesota but apparently, the Vikings are locked in on J.J. McCarthy. They already have their starter. They don’t need Rodgers. But as former Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski asked Julian Edelman, “How does it sound if Aaron Rodgers joins the Minnesota Vikings for a year or two and mentors JJ McCarthy?”
Edelman, however, doesn’t think that’s a good idea.
“No, I don’t think so. It’s probably going to be more money than what Sam Darnold was, if not probably in that same ballpark,” Edelman responded during the Dudes on Dudes podcast.
But would he feel the same if Rodgers was available for a low-paying $15-20 million salary?
The former WR questioned whether Rodgers would fully commit to team activities, noting that he skipped the Jets’ mandatory minicamp in 2024. He also acknowledged that “there’s a lot of stuff” going on with the veteran QB right now, and the Vikings don’t need that distraction as they continue on a promising path. Notably, the Vikings had a 14-3 season, which reignited their NFC title hopes for next year.
More importantly. Edelman thinks Rodgers’ “aura” is not of a guy who would mentor a player only to get replaced by him.
“I won’t do it. I wouldn’t do it because I don’t think Aaron Rodgers is the type of guy to be like, ‘let me mentor a young guy’ anymore. He comes in with such an aura where that’s just not possible for him, being in the same quarterback room with the guy who’s going to be the future. I just can’t see that,” Edelman explained.
Edelman remained hesitant about Rodgers due to his age, past controversies, and the mentorship aspect with JJ McCarthy. On the other hand, Gronk saw the upside. Especially with Sam Darnold out of the picture, Gronk believes Rodgers’ expertise could help develop McCarthy into a franchise QB.
After all, Rodgers showed flashes of brilliance in the 2024 season. The aging QB posted a passer rating of 90.5 with 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 17 games for the Jets.
The Vikings could look to draft a QB with their 24th pick but if reports are to be believed, they’re pretty set on McCarthy as their starter. Meanwhile, the New York Giants, who hold the No. 3 pick in the draft, might target Shedeur Sanders, given his strong rapport with WR Malik Nabers.
With Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reportedly interested in A-Rod, Pittsburgh may be the only team that remains optimistic about Rodgers. And with time working against him, Rodgers may have to accept that if there are no takers in 2025, his career could be over.
However, the 2011 Super Bowl winner has already built an impressive legacy, playing 248 career games with 5,369 completions on 8,245 attempts, totaling 62,952 passing yards, 503 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 102.6. However, it seems his desire to win a second Super Bowl remains the driving force.
