The Vikings were considering Aaron Rodgers to fill their quarterback position but have decided against it for now. And guess what? They chose to give J.J. McCarthy the chance to be their starter. The young QB missed almost his entire rookie season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. It was an injury that made him the first signal-caller in the modern draft era to be selected in the first round and still miss his entire rookie season. But the coming season will be the chance to prove himself. What happens to Rodgers now?

Here’s the thing: Signing him would mean the Vikings added a future Hall of Fame quarterback but also push McCarthy to the 2026 season. Now that they decided to sign the younger QB, there are chances the team might think about Rodgers if McCarthy gets re-injured. However, this could only work if the veteran isn’t signed elsewhere. The Vikings will need one more QB (apart from McCarthy and Brett Rypien) to evenly distribute the reps in OTAs and the veteran could still try his luck if he has time on his side.

You see, back in 2009, Brett Favre didn’t sign with the Vikings until August 18. Applying this to the current scenario, the team can take its time to see whether McCarthy is good to go, or if they need to call up Rodgers. But right now, the 41-year-old is left scanning the room and the only teams still making eye contact? The Steelers and Giants—both waiting, both watching; Both wondering if Rodgers is about to make a move. That’s where ESPN NFL Nation reporter Rich Cimini comes in. On Wednesday, Cimini reported:

“Both the Steelers and Giants begin their off-season program on April 21. I’d mark that as a soft deadline. Rodgers, in a new situation, recognizes the importance of the offseason. It requires time on task for new teammates/coaches to grasp the full Rodgers experience — his unique cadence, elaborate hand signals, etc. Plus, he’d have to learn an entirely new offense, which wasn’t the case when he went to the Jets in ’23.” Why the rush?

Well, first, let’s clarify one thing: Rodgers isn’t playing for a hefty contract anymore. The guy’s already the highest-paid NFL player with $381 million in his total career earnings. In fact, the major concern lies with him joining a new offense because when Rodgers signed with the Jets, he had Nathaniel Hackett to work with and get used to the Jets’ O-line. This time? Well, he’d be learning a completely different book.

On one hand, we have got the Steelers‘ offense that isn’t exactly the kind that suits Rodgers. See it like this: the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, already had a rocky relationship with Russell Wilson in the last season. The reason? Well, when Justin Fields was the starter, Pittsburgh used play action 31.1% of the time. And when Wilson took over, the play action dropped to 25.3%.

Now’s the interesting part: With the Jets in the 2024 season, Rodgers used 25.8% play action throughout the season. That said, Smith’s not the kind of guy who would like to work with a QB who would struggle to run the O-line. So yeah, Rodgers will surely require learning a new O-line if the Steelers sign him.

Then there’re the Giants. Well, they’ve got the second-year wide receiver Malik Nabers, who’s coming after a notable rookie season. With Rodgers in the mix, the guy could thrive. But of course, the QB would require to learn the New York team’s offense as well. But what about the teams, coaches, and the teammates? I mean, they also have to grasp Rodgers’ tactics. Now, let’s be real—if history had taught us anything about Rodgers, then it’s his clutch plays and hand signals.

His pre-snap cadence? It’s like a drummer setting the beat, keeping the defense guessing. Those hand signals? Think of them as inside jokes only his receivers get—silent but deadly. And with the Giants and the Steelers looking to sign him, their O-line probably needs to learn about Rodgers’ style. With that being said, the veteran has a soft 33-day deadline from the Steelers and the Giants.

Aaron Rodgers still has Tomlin and Daboll on the waiting list

The Vikings are not signing Rodgers, unless they really need him. However, columnist Andrew Brandt had some thoughts about the QB being linked to the Vikings. “Vikings and Aaron never made sense. He would be a placeholder for at most a year, more likely just a few games. McCarthy is the future, time to get on with it,” he noted. Indeed!

The Vikings are all in for a long-term option and clearly Rodgers isn’t the guy. With that being said, the Vikings option is off the table for Rodgers. That means he’s either going to choose the Steelers or the Giants or call it quits and hit the golf course.

But the Steelers and the Giants are surely waiting for him. The kicker? The veteran QB is still not ready to answer any of these two franchises. Diabolical. 

In fact, if reports are to be believed, Rodgers is still in no rush. As per the ESPN Senior NFL Insider, Adam Schefter, “Nothing related to Minnesota has altered Aaron Rodgers’ timeline. One source monitoring Rodgers’ potential decision about the 2025 season said this morning that the free-agent QB still ‘is in no rush at all.'”

At the end of the day, we’re back to square one. Or should we say the Steelers and the Giants are back to square one? After all those speculations around the Vikings rumors were resolved, Mike Tomlin and Brian Daboll are still probably watching, waiting, and wondering at what happy hour Rodgers would make a call. What do you think?