It’s down to the Steelers, Giants or retirement for Aaron Rodgers.
The Minnesota Vikings have decided not to pursue Rodgers at this time and are moving into 2025 with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback, according to multiple reports.
The Vikings already have rejected multiple trade calls on McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick, per NFL Network.
While this narrows Rodgers’ options in free agency, however, it does not mean he will make a decision soon.
The four-time MVP “is in no rush at all” to make a decision about his 2025 season, per ESPN, and the Vikings’ decision hasn’t changed that.
The Giants desperately need Rodgers to choose them. They’ve hosted Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on visits so far in free agency, and they reportedly had planned a Zoom call with the Titans’ Mason Rudolph before he signed with Pittsburgh instead.
Steelers star defensive tackle Cam Heyward declined to recruit Rodgers to Pittsburgh.
“I ain’t doing that darkness retreat. I don’t need any of that crap,” Heyward said on his Not Just Football podcast. “Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don’t. It’s simple. That’s the pitch. If you want me to recruit, that’s the recruiting pitch: Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don’t, no skin off my back.”
Saints eight-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Cam Jordan, meanwhile, showed reverence for Rodgers’ ability when asked which team would be the best fit for the talented QB.
“I’m not gonna wish well for anybody to get a great quarterback like Aaron Rodgers,” Jordan said on the Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast.
The Vikings still plan to add a veteran quarterback to back up and support McCarthy. Former Giants backup Drew Lock would be an excellent fit in that role, and being coached by Kevin O’Connell would be great for Lock, too.
The Giants’ search rambles aimlessly on, meanwhile, as Rodgers operates on his own terms.
GIANTS ADD AN EDGE
The Giants agreed to terms with former Arizona Cardinal Victor Dimukeje, 25, a special teams player and backup edge rusher with four career sacks in 55 games and six starts, all of which came in 2023.