The Vikings’ offseason has been messy, but nothing got the rumor mill spinning like the thought of Aaron Rodgers pulling up to Minnesota. His future in New York? Uncertain. He’s coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, and the Jets are low-key falling apart—head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas both got the boot. So naturally, people started connecting the dots. Would Rodgers dip too? Then, things got even spicier when Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell—who’s been tight with Rodgers for years—had “a lot of conversations” with him. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah even called their chats “really special.” So was this actually a thing, or just another offseason fever dream?

Plot twist: Rodgers ain’t coming. The Vikings have locked in on their real plan—building around rookie QB J.J. McCarthy. Adofo-Mensah basically shut down the Rodgers hype when he said, “Right now … we’re happy with our room.” And they weren’t just talking—teams reportedly called about McCarthy, and the Vikings straight-up said nope. They’re all in on their guy. Yeah, the Rodgers convo was fun while it lasted, but Minnesota isn’t out here chasing short-term clout.

That’s not to say Rodgers was never an option, though. Adofo-Mensah admitted O’Connell had multiple talks with him, saying, “He’s got a relationship with Aaron. They’ve had a lot of conversations. Obviously, he looped us in, and we go from there.” Translation? The Vikings at least considered it. But when it came down to it, adding a 40-year-old QB would’ve just made things messy for McCarthy.

Even now, the Vikings‘ GM Adofo-Mensah isn’t fully slamming the door shut. When asked if Aaron Rodgers was 100% out of the picture, he hit us with the classic GM answer: “For me to sit here and say that anything’s 100%, forever, that’s just not the job, right?” So, yeah—never say never. But also, don’t bet your rent money on it. Meanwhile, Rodgers isn’t exactly clearing things up either. He recently said, “I don’t know if I want to play yet, but it would definitely be in New York.” So, while he’s keeping his options open, he’s not out here begging for a fresh start either.

At this point, the only QB that matters in Minnesota is McCarthy. The Vikings didn’t draft him just to let a legend walk in and steal the spotlight. He’s gotta earn his spot, sure, but at least he won’t have to deal with an Aaron Rodgers-sized distraction messing with his reps. Minnesota is locked in on the long game, and Rodgers just doesn’t fit into that picture.

Vikings are handing J.J. McCarthy the keys, but he needs to earn it

The Vikings are fully betting on J.J. McCarthy as their future QB1, but they’re not just tossing him the job without a fight. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made that clear when he said, “We wanted to build a team that can support a young quarterback.” He straight-up admitted, “J.J. McCarthy starting is the outcome we want,” so yeah, they drafted him to be the guy. But here’s the catch—Adofo-Mensah also added, “It’s our job to set up a quarterback room to compete.” Basically, McCarthy’s on track to start, but he’s gotta prove he’s ready before they make it official.

McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but his rookie season was a complete wash thanks to a torn meniscus in the preseason. Now, he’s back on the field, throwing again, and—according to Adofo-Mensah—”He’s on the field, throwing and training. He looks great. He’s excited.” That’s good news because, as of now, the Vikings don’t have a big-name veteran waiting in the wings. Sam Darnold bounced to the Seahawks, and the only other QB on the roster is Jaren Hall, who has some NFL experience but isn’t exactly a major threat to McCarthy’s spot. Still, the Vikings want to create a competitive environment to make sure McCarthy isn’t just gifted the role—he has to earn it.

Bottom line? The Vikings are setting McCarthy up for success, but they’re also making him work for it. They’re not throwing him into the fire unprepared, but they also aren’t just slapping a “QB1” label on him without seeing what he’s got. The job is his to lose, and if he steps up, Minnesota’s future at quarterback is locked in.