“To the Jets Organization, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many incredible people. To all of the players, I truly love and appreciate every single one of you. The character of the men in the locker room made coaching you guys the ultimate privilege.” That’s what ex-Jets HC Robert Saleh said after he was left ‘blindsided’ by the team’s decision to fire him. Saleh might have never disclosed the reason publicly, but the majority believed Aaron Rodgers pushed for his exit as HC. There were multiple reports bluntly claiming how Rodgers wanted to control the Jets building.

Fast forward to now, Rodgers is in free agency. He wants to sign with the Vikings, but Kevin O’Connell and Minnesota do not want to land in the situation the Jets were in during the 2024 season. Kevin is the kind of coach who is all about business. As Mike Florio put it, “Kevin O’Connell is the ultimate Minnesota coach… And he’s a positive force. I don’t think that’s going to work on Rodgers.” There’s another reason for Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings front office not to sign Rodgers, one everyone’s being candid about: ‘Aaron Rodgers would block JJ McCarthy’s development.’

On Thursday, ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler dropped by The Rich Eisen Show. Fowler shared some interesting insights into the QB carousel. Talking about the Vikings considering Rodgers as their QB, Jeremy shared, “Well, the line or the thinking I got, the messaging I got, even dating back to last week, was Rodgers is possible but unlikely. That was the feeling coming out of their free agent meetings last week, and ultimately, that’s what became true.”

The number of times all the reporters and analysts have said the same thing out there, Rodgers should stop hoping for a deal with Minnesota. “The line I kept hearing was, we’re committed to JJ McCarthy’s development. So, because of that, they knew he was going to be the franchise quarterback,” added Fowler. The ESPN reporter shared that the team wants to “ride that out in the spring, see if he (JJ McCarthy) can build off that, and they expect him to.“

As for Rodgers, an NFL insider revealed that the Vikings have officially crossed him off their list.

The Vikings shut the door on Aaron Rodgers

On Wednesday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that although the Vikings are still in search of a veteran QB, they are not going after Aaron. The team has made it clear that JJ McCarthy is their guy. Multiple reports also suggest that the Vikings have decided to go with McCarthy as their starter. Minnesota had that plan since 2024 only when they drafted the Michigan alum, had JJ not suffered a season-ending injury before the regular season. Now it’s finally time for the 22-year-old to step on the gridiron as the QB1.

Now Rodgers has two options left: he can either go with the Steelers or the Giants. According to reports, the former Packers QB still has offers from both franchises on the table. But it’s Rodgers who is delaying the decision. The word is that the veteran QB either wants to sign with Minnesota or hang up his cleats. The Super Bowl XLV champion does not want to play with the Steelers or the Giants.

And the Steelers and Giants can’t just sit around twiddling their thumbs. Pittsburgh has already signed Mason Rudolph to a two-year contract. The Giants, on the other hand, had a meeting with Russell Wilson. “I do expect the Giants to sign somebody. If they get impatient, it’s probably Russell Wilson, who I’m told looks at the Giants as a viable option and has for a while,” shared Jeremy Fowler.

So, if Rodgers chooses neither the Steelers nor the Giants, it raises a very interesting question: will he finally hang up his cleats?