The talk about how the Minnesota Vikings might address the quarterback position alongside and/or behind JJ McCarthy has begun, as the team is no longer in the NFC playoff picture with three games to play in the regular season.
Some NFL analysts have suggested Minnesota take big swings on trades for expensive players like Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals or Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins. But given the Vikings’ salary cap situation (currently -$36 million heading into 2026), a more modest approach with a veteran free agent is probably most likely.
Perhaps the best option will be Aaron Rodgers, who is in the midst of a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is looking playoff-bound after back-to-back wins against the Baltimore Ravens and Dolphins.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic on Friday, December 19 authored a sobering and realistic take on Rodgers’ present and future, the latter of which happens to include a reasonable possibility of linking up with the Vikings for his age-42 season — assuming he doesn’t retire and is willing to change teams one last time.
“Rodgers and the Vikings were flirting from across the room last offseason, so there could be some consideration to rekindling those flames, especially if the Vikings want to pause or even halt the JJ McCarthy experiment,” Howe wrote. “Rodgers’ performance is in steep decline. He won’t carry anyone to the playoffs, but he is still capable of being a valuable contributor on a well-constructed roster. Rodgers should have suitors if he wants to entertain them.”
Vikings Might Be Playoff Contenders in 2025 With Aaron Rodgers Instead of JJ McCarthy
GettyPittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota was the only team Howe mentioned for Rodgers, other than a return to Pittsburgh, as he examined the coming QB carousel across the league.
The Vikings make considerable sense because they won’t need Rodgers to “carry” them to the playoffs, more so just guide them there. Based on his play and health this season, it is reasonable to project that Minnesota (6-8) would be more competitive with Rodgers under center than it has been in an up-and-down campaign with McCarthy, in which he has gone 4-4 as the starter and missed six games due to two injuries.
Rodgers has completed nearly 67 percent of his pass attempts for just shy of 2,600 yards, 22 TDs and seven INTs this year. Meanwhile, McCarthy has a completion rate of just under 57 percent and has thrown for 1,342 yards, 11 TDs and 11 INTs.
JJ McCarthy’s Final 3 Games This Season Will Play Huge Factor in Vikings’ QB Decisions Moving Forward
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
The final three games of the year are likely to shape the Vikings’ decision-making process on McCarthy, and at the quarterback position in general, going forward.
McCarthy had moments early on in his second season — which was really his first after missing the entirety of his rookie campaign in 2024 with a knee injury — besting the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions on the road.
But McCarthy also looked borderline unplayable across a three-game losing streak to the Baltimore Ravens, Bears and Green Bay Packers immediately following his triumph in Detroit. He threw for two TDs and five INTs over that stretch, while the Vikings’ offense produced a total of 23 points — less than eight points per game.
However, after missing an outing against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 with a concussion, McCarthy has bounced back and strung together his two best back-to-back performances of the year in consecutive wins. He still has just a half-season worth of starts to his credit and deserves, nay demands, more time to develop after the Vikings spent the No. 10 overall pick to draft him in the first round two years ago.
But Minnesota must also consider what the rest of a contention-capable roster deserves heading into 2026, namely players like superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson who represent cornerstones of the team’s future.
If McCarthy stumbles down the stretch, a reasonably-priced and proven veteran like Rodgers — a four-time MVP playing on a $13.65 million contract in 2025 — is a player on whom Minnesota must consider making a move if the opportunity presents itself.
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