The Aaron Rodgers market has endured lengthy sufficient that Russell Wilson is taking visits. Showing to take a seat behind his former 2014 NFC championship recreation opponent the growing older QB pecking order, Wilson has tried to shake things up with Browns and Giants conferences. Wilson is assembly with Large Blue on Friday.
However the Giants have carried out loads of work on Rodgers. Linked to the 41-year-old cap casualty for a number of days, the Giants may additionally be main the best way by way of presents. Though the Steelers have additionally made Rodgers a proposal, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated throughout her “Scoop Metropolis” podcast (h/t Steelers Depot) that New York is believed to have submitted a greater supply.
Contemplating the earnings Rodgers has put collectively, the Giants providing a bit extra in all probability wouldn’t transfer the needle sufficient. If the previous Packers and Jets starter had been to hitch the Giants, match would probably be the highest field to examine. Cash is just not believed to be the driving force of Rodgers’ delay with the Steelers, so it will stand to cause no Giants supply could be pushing him in both course. That mentioned, a large hole forming between the 2 groups’ proposals may function a tiebreaker of types.
The Jets mentioned Rodgers with “5 – 6” groups for the reason that Mix, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson tweets, however they’d beforehand decided they had been transferring on. It might seem that Gang Inexperienced made a last-ditch try to commerce Rodgers, however nothing transpired on that entrance. Rodgers turned a post-June 1 launch Wednesday, saddling the Jets with $49M in useless cash via 2026. The Jets’ new regime making the decision to maneuver on from an all-time QB expertise solely to see three extra groups swoop in is reasonably attention-grabbing, and the wild-card suitor right here could also be serving to drive the delay.
Rodgers was considered as being intrigued by a Vikings partnership — in what could be an eerily comparable transfer to some late-2000s exercise involving the Packers’ earlier beginning quarterback — however SI.com’s Albert Breer adds that, as of Thursday night time, the Vikes had been merely contemplating diving into the Rodgers market. Going a bit additional right here, Russini notes that the Vikings are “significantly” contemplating Rodgers, who’s giving the NFC North group time to make its determination. That further piece of data from Russini might do the very best to clarify this delay; the Vikings seem like holding up the Steelers and Giants’ QB plans.
Along with finishing the Brett Favre arc, a Rodgers-to-Minnesota storyline would depart the Steelers and Giants scrambling at QB. Whereas the Giants maintain the No. 3 total choose — and sure would nonetheless be linked to utilizing it to amass a QB even when Rodgers indicators — the Steelers reside at No. 21. Rodgers selecting Pittsburgh would stand to present him the very best probability of ending the 2025 season as a starter, however he has clearly proven respect for what the Vikings have put collectively beneath Kevin O’Connell.
Minnesota has now been connected to Rodgers for nearly a week, with the Steelers being in play a bit longer. Each Sam Darnold and Vikes contingency plan Daniel Jones dedicated elsewhere. Jones was all the way down to a Minnesota-or-Indianapolis alternative; had the late-season Vikings addition chosen to remain within the Twin Cities, we’d have a Rodgers reply by now. Jones, nevertheless, signed with the Colts to push Anthony Richardson. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see if both the Giants or Steelers blink and go together with Wilson, whose free company is in an attention-grabbing place at this level.
Whereas it stays attention-grabbing Rodgers has this a lot sway after a wildly underwhelming Jets tenure, the obtrusive wants the Giants and Steelers convey partially explains it. One member of this trio might be left with out Rodgers or Wilson, offering severe problems about 2025 viability. The Falcons haven’t let Kirk Cousins out of his contract (but), and the Browns’ curiosity in Wilson gives one other wrinkle right here.
The Vikings are nonetheless making ready to present the keys to J.J. McCarthy, however a real entrance into the Rodgers derby would seemingly throw a wrench into the 2024 draftee’s timetable. Minnesota’s confidence in McCarthy would additionally stand to present Rodgers pause, however for now, he seems genuinely intrigued about see what the group’s gross sales pitch could be.
