In the NFL, picking the right quarterback is everything. A single decision can make or break a team’s future, and this offseason, one young QB has had multiple teams buzzing. Front offices have been making calls, hoping to land him, but the home team just sent a loud and clear message: he’s not going anywhere.

The Minnesota Vikings have officially locked in JJ McCarthy as their QB1. Even though he missed his rookie year with a knee injury, the team isn’t even entertaining trade offers. They’re planning to bring in a veteran backup, but Aaron Rodgers? Yeah, not happening. Rodgers reportedly had his eyes on Minnesota, but the Vikings are fully committed to their young QB.

A few teams—like the Giants, Jets, and Raiders—were hoping to get their hands on McCarthy. The Giants have been eyeing him since the 2024 Draft, where they considered trading up to grab him. The Jets, now looking for a replacement after parting ways with Rodgers, also saw McCarthy as a solid long-term option. And the Raiders? They’ve been desperate for a franchise QB and thought he could be their guy. But the Vikings shut them all down.

JJ McCarthy locked in a solid rookie deal with the Vikings—a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $21.85 million, including a sweet $12.71 million signing bonus. Not bad for a first-year QB, right? But here’s the kicker—he didn’t even get to play in the regular season. A preseason knee injury took him out before he could even take a real NFL snap. Tough break, but since his contract is fully guaranteed, he’s still getting paid while he rehabs and preps for a comeback. The Vikings clearly believe in him.

But it’s not just his skills on the field that make him valuable. McCarthy’s work ethic and leadership have been praised at every level. His Michigan coach, Jim Harbaugh, even called him a “once-in-a-generational” QB and compared him to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. “Everything he does athletically, everything he does throwing the football is elite,” Harbaugh said.

McCarthy’s teammates have also hyped him up. “JJ gives you 100 percent all the time,” said his high school teammate Landon Morris. “If he’s not satisfied, he’s going to work until he reaches the top no matter what.” And JJ McCarthy himself has a fire that coaches love. Talking about Harbaugh, he once said, “There’s nobody that eats, sleeps, breathes football more than that guy. When you see that outta your coach, you just wanna run through a brick wall for him.”

Bottom line? The Vikings are all-in on McCarthy, and they’re making sure everyone knows it. While other teams scramble to figure out their quarterback situation, Minnesota is doubling down on their guy. Now, it’s up to JJ McCarthy to prove them right.

“No Darkness Retreats Here“, Cam Heyward calls out Rodgers for dragging his feet

NFL free agency is like musical chairs—except no one wants to be the team left standing when the music stops. The Pittsburgh Steelers? Yeah, they’re just about done waiting for Aaron Rodgers to pick a seat. The four-time MVP is still floating between retirement, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, or maybe some surprise twist no one saw coming. And Steelers captain Cam Heyward? He’s had enough. Even the fans had enough of this patience game.

On his Not Just Football podcast, Heyward kept it brutally honest: “I’m tired of talking about the quarterback situation. I’d rather have it done.” Translation? Rodgers needs to quit stalling and make a decision.

And if Rodgers was hoping for some elaborate recruitment pitch from the Steelers, well, that’s just not happening. When asked if he’d consider joining one of Rodgers’ infamous darkness retreats—you know, the whole ‘sit in a pitch-black room and find yourself’ thing—Heyward shut it down fast. “I ain’t doing that darkness retreat, I don’t need any of that crap,” he said. “Either you want to be a Steeler or you don’t. That’s the pitch.” No gimmicks, no begging, just pick a team.

But here’s where it gets tricky—does Rodgers even want to be a Steeler? NFL analyst Joe Starkey raised a brutal but valid point: Pittsburgh hasn’t even sniffed a playoff win in almost a decade. “They havenʼt come close to winning a playoff game in almost a whole decade“. The offense has been called outdated, and even the defense—usually their crown jewel—got torched for quitting mid-playoff game. Not exactly the most enticing situation for a veteran QB looking for one last shot at glory.

Pittsburgh did bring back Mason Rudolph, but let’s be real, that move didn’t exactly send shockwaves through the league. Rodgers would be a huge upgrade or so many believe, but his hesitation makes you wonder. Does he see Pittsburgh as a serious option, or is he just keeping them on standby while he weighs his other choices? Meanwhile, the Giants are still in the mix, and Rodgers is reportedly watching what the Vikings do. So yeah, the waiting game drags on.

At this point, Steelers management seems a lot more patient than Heyward, but even they have to be wondering how much longer they can wait. Free agency moves at warp speed, and if Rodgers keeps dragging his feet, Pittsburgh might just move on. As Heyward put it best—“No skin off my back.”