Next QB? Look beyond the names you are hearing?

[ArizonaViking]

For the love of God...no...

[supafreak84]

Out of all the different options available to us, the Rodgers option is a strong one and checks all the boxes. OConnell wants a veteran to come in, run his offense, and not get him fired in the process. McCarthy is injury prone, erratic, and we just don't know anything about him at this point. Rodgers gives OConnell an "out" for a season without totally giving up on McCarthy, who has a full offseason to recover, get stronger, and learn without rehabbing a major injury. 

The only thing that would give me some pause is, what happened this last offseason with the whole Rodgers situation? He was told "no" then, but why?

[Greylock]

Rodgers does too much stuff off script that would blow KOC's mind.

[MaroonBells]

Out of all the different options available to us, the Rodgers option is a strong one and checks all the boxes. OConnell wants a veteran to come in, run his offense, and not get him fired in the process. McCarthy is injury prone, erratic, and we just don't know anything about him at this point. Rodgers gives OConnell an "out" for a season without totally giving up on McCarthy, who has a full offseason to recover, get stronger, and learn without rehabbing a major injury. 

The only thing that would give me some pause is, what happened this last offseason with the whole Rodgers situation? He was told "no" then, but why?

Agree with your first paragraph. I've been saying this for a while now. If Rodgers wants to play another year, then he makes perfect sense for the Vikings. Contrary to what some believe, signing old man Rodgers would actually tell McCarthy they believe he has a future, whereas signing younger options (Mac Jones, Levis, Richardson, Willis) would suggest the opposite.

I think the reason the Vikings said no to him last year is the same reason most of us were against it: He's a dick; he didn't play that well the year before; Vikings had a QB on a rookie deal going into his 2nd season in the offense. It was time to get the kid some snaps. That it didn't work out does not make it the wrong decision. How might JJ have progressed if he didn't get hurt? We'll never know. 

The truly "bad" decision was Sam Howell.

[supafreak84]

Rodgers does too much stuff off script that would blow KOC's mind.

Maybe. I think O'Connell is going to have a hard time finding a viable veteran option that checks everything he wants. We've talked about Cousins, but that seems completely preposterous especially with Penix rehabbing another knee injury and probably wouldn't be ready until mid-season anyways. Who else are you going to grab in free agency that checks all the boxes he wants, with the most important being a viable starting option that can win games and function at a high level in the chuck and duck offense? This whole quarterback problem is a major fuckup with no real good solutions. I don't know how much is being dictated by the front office or ownership, but they've screwed this up about as bad as they possibly could. If the best we are mustering is Jimmy G or Mariota, we are going to be in trouble. At the very least Rodgers gives me some confidence we can get mid to upper tier quarterback play that can win games without giving up on McCarthy

[purplefaithful]

Agree with your first paragraph. I've been saying this for a while now. If Rodgers wants to play another year, then he makes perfect sense for the Vikings. Contrary to what some believe, signing old man Rodgers would actually tell McCarthy they believe he has a future, whereas signing younger options (Mac Jones, Levis, Richardson, Willis) would suggest the opposite.
I think the reason the Vikings said no to him last year is the same reason most of us were against it: He's a dick; he didn't play that well the year before; Vikings had a QB on a rookie deal going into his 2nd season in the offense. It was time to get the kid some snaps. That it didn't work out does not make it the wrong decision. How might JJ have progressed if he didn't get hurt? We'll never know. 
The truly "bad" decision was Sam Howell.

Howell was a terrible decision...I know you've been pimping Rogers a while now, I wasn't there a mos ago, but Ive come around after watching some Steeler games. 

I have no idea if he wants to play anymore, let alone where? Let alone with whomever the Steelers are going to backfill Tomlin with? Will that person even what him back? 

I suspect we could have added 2-3 more wins on a 9/8 year if he was healthy and at the helm, maybe more.

==============================================================

Monday’s playoff game between the Steelers and Texans still hung in the balance in the fourth quarter when Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass on 3rd-and-12 from his own 43.

A brutal pass rush built on both speed and power overtook Rodgers on the play, causing a strip sack and fumble return for a touchdown that turned a four-point game into a 17-6 Texans lead.

It was the kind of hit that might make any sane person, let alone a 42-year-old quarterback, decide to never play football again.

Longtime analyst Troy Aikman, who knows a thing or two about the position, said during the action, “I think we are watching Aaron Rodgers’ last game.”

But in the aftermath of Monday’s loss, with a final score that swelled to 30-6 after a pick-six on Rodgers’ final throw of the season and possibly career, Rodgers was non-committal about his future.

“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I’m disappointed. It was such a fun year. Obviously, a lot of adversity, but a lot of fun.”

We need to start with an obvious question: If Rodgers, who is a free agent, eventually decides he wants to play another year would it make sense for the Vikings to be in the mix? We know that he was interested in playing for Minnesota in 2025 but that the Vikings opted to put their full trust in J.J. McCarthy.

In hindsight, that might have seemed wise for the Vikings to sign Rodgers to play in 2025. But they also knew they needed more information on and reps for McCarthy. Plus they were coming off a 14-3 season. At this point in his career, Rodgers is not playing like an elite QB who would take a team to the Super Bowl. He probably wasn’t the right fit for 2025, even if he might have lifted the Vikings into the playoffs.

To me, though, it might make more sense in 2026. While it feels more likely that the Vikings would bolster their QB room with someone who could compete with McCarthy for the starting job and not displace him for a year, the Vikings could also decide that McCarthy is young and raw enough that he needs a full year of refinement behind the scenes.

If that’s the case ... and Rodgers wants to play another year ... and still likes the idea of coming to Minnesota ... it could be a fit. He’s started all but one game in the last two seasons and put up decent numbers (52 TDs and 18 INTs over 33 regular-season games with the Jets in 2024 and Steelers this year). He’s been a decent veteran QB, which sounds a lot better after enduring the Vikings’ 2025 season than it might have sounded going into 2025.

Ultimately, it will come down to what Rodgers wants to do and how the Vikings plan to approach 2026. But one thing has been true with Rodgers for years: Whenever you think it’s over, it’s usually just beginning.

Monday’s game was also very likely the final game of Adam Thielen’s career. The longtime Vikings receiver came back here in 2025 for an unsuccessful reunion before being granted his release and signing with the Steelers after Minnesota fell out of playoff contention. Thielen caught both of his targets for 25 yards total in Monday’s loss after catching 11 passes for 117 yards in five regular-season games with the Steelers.

Strib

[MAD GAINZ]

Howell was a terrible decision...I know you've been pimping Rogers a while now, I wasn't there a mos ago, but Ive come around after watching some Steeler games. 

I have no idea if he wants to play anymore, let alone where?

I suspect we could have added 2-3 more wins on a 9/8 year if he was at the helm, maybe more.

But look at where that got Pittsburgh.  1 and done with a poor performance from Rodgers against a tough D.  Is he still a solid QB.  This season he was.  But he's not anywhere near the MVP he was 4 years ago.  And at 42, he's 6 ft from the edge of falling off that cliff.

I think the Vikings need to find a viable backup and see how JJ McCarthy develops in 2026.  We need to know if he's the guy or not.  We can't sit him for another year and then start him in Year 4.  This team will look completely different next season and even more different two years from now.

[greediron]

Let Rodgers rot in the memory of his last pass and failed tackle.

[Kentis]

   
Time to ride off into the sunset…!

[hogjowlsjohnny]

I think the Vikings need to find a viable backup and see how JJ McCarthy develops in 2026.  We need to know if he's the guy or not.  We can't sit him for another year and then start him in Year 4.  This team will look completely different next season and even more different two years from now.

I think that is what they will do. However, they will need to be relatively certain the back up QB they bring in will be good enough to push JJ for the starting job and competent to take over if JJ plays poorly or gets injured.
Many of the qb names I am hearing like Richardson, Levis, and others, could very well result in having 2 bad QB's instead of one!
I think Willis would be the exception, but would be hard to get.

The worst case scenario is JJ doesn't improve or is injured again, the backup doesn't play well, in combination with Flores leaving and Harry retiring;  because nobody will get out of these players what Flores did and Harry made a lot of calls on the field.

That will get everyone fired.

The decision at QB is critical. I think Flores will get hired elsewhere.