Aaron Rodgers decision: QB could retire if he doesn’t get Vikings offer

Aaron Rodgers may choose to retire from the NFL if he doesn’t get his way in free agency, according to The Athletic. 

As the former MVP reportedly considers offers from the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, he would prefer to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, according to the outlet. 

If Rodgers doesn’t get an offer from Minnesota, he may retire. 

The Vikings have an opening for a veteran quarterback after last year’s starter, Sam Darnold, signed with the Seattle Seahawks. However, Minnesota also has former Michigan national champion J.J. McCarthy, the team’s first-round pick in the 2024 draft. 

Rodgers, at 41 years old, is not considered a long-term solution for any team. 

Famed NFL agent Leigh Steinberg, who has negotiated contracts for multiple Hall of Fame quarterbacks, told Fox News Digital he envisions Minnesota as a “positive fit” for Rodgers at this stage in his career, especially due to McCarthy’s presence as a potential protégé and the team being suited to win in the short-term. 

“So, you need to have a situation where, because Aaron at best maybe plays another year, maybe plays another two years, but it’s not a permanent solution, so it’s a one- or two-year fix,” Steinberg said. “So, he could go to a team that’s really good but just needs that last little piece to put them over the top, and he could mentor a younger quarterback.”

BRETT FAVRE IMPLORES AARON RODGERS TO SIGN WITH ONE SPECIFIC TEAM: ‘GOOD PLACE TO WIN’

Steinberg also believes a team without a chance to win in the short term with no young quarterback on its roster would not be as good a fit. The Giants are a team that fits that mold. The Steelers may have had a winning record last season but aren’t a shoo-in to be good again this year. They also don’t have a young project quarterback.

“A team that’s really dissatisfied with their quarterbacking that takes him wouldn’t be as positive of a solution,” Steinberg said. 

If Rodgers does end up getting an offer from the Vikings and signing with them, he would follow a nearly identical career path to that of his Green Bay Packer predecessor, Brett Favre. Like Favre, Rodgers played the vast majority of his career with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl before being traded to the New York Jets. Favre then spent his final two years on the Vikings. 

Favre offered advice to Rodgers and encouraged him to sign with the Vikings during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “The Will Cain Show” Tuesday.

“By all means, sign with them,” Favre said. “They got a really good football team. They’re loaded at pretty much every position. They made it to the playoffs last year. They got a tremendous fan base, much like the Packers. If you get the opportunity, that’s a good place to win. 

“Of course, you gotta play the Packers then.”

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