Time is a flat circle in many ways.
Once again, the NFL world waits for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to decide his football future.
And like another former Green Bay Packers quarterback who went to the New York Jets, Rodgers could end his career with his longtime rival, the Minnesota Vikings.
What Rodgers chooses to do isn’t particularly relevant to the Green Bay Packers. The Packers will warmly welcome Rodgers back with his name and number immortalized on Lambeau Field as one of the franchise’s greatest players. What he decides to do between now and then isn’t really Green Bay’s business anymore.
But there isn’t actual football to watch, and Rodgers’ late-career journey mirroring Brett Favre‘s is fun, so we’re gonna talk about our ex-quarterback anyway.
If Rodgers ends up with the Minnesota Vikings, it will be one hell of a talking point and make for some great content. But let’s admit that history isn’t predetermined, and the circumstances aren’t identical. Rodgers’ Vikings career, if it even happens, would be a lot different than Favre’s.
Favre’s story is well defined football folklore by now. The Hall of Fame quarterback delighted fans and irked rivals for years before the team drafted his successor and decided to move on, while the quarterback spent too much time deciding his future. Green Bay traded him to the Jets, but his bad blood with the team led him to sign with the Vikings as soon as he could.
Rodgers’ story starts the same. His career looked like it was slipping in 2019, and the Packers drafted his successor. Rodgers wasn’t happy with it, though his own experiences as the heir apparent led to him forming a better relationship with Jordan Love than the one he had with Favre.
Nonetheless, Rodgers wasn’t happy and reportedly didn’t want to play for the Packers, leaving his status uncertain for a few drafts. Rodgers had a few more great seasons but ended things on a rough note in 2022.
After the season, he went into the darkness to decide his future. At that time, the Packers decided it was time to move forward with Love. While many believe Rodgers was leaning toward retiring, that decision led to his asking for a trade to the Jets, a team with seemingly good pieces in play but in need of a quarterback.
That’s the first major difference — Ted Thompson traded Favre to the Jets to get him out of the NFC, while Brian Gutekunst worked out a deal to send Rodgers to his desired spot. Rodgers is known for being petty but hasn’t ruined his relationship with the Packers.
However, Rodgers’ career with the Jets didn’t go as planned. He missed his first season in Jersey with a torn Achilles, while poor play marred his second season. However, Rodgers continued to say good things about the Green Bay Packers organization. He maintained many close relationships with former teammates and staff members, even going out of his way to praise Jordan Love’s play.
So, while Rodgers could go to the Vikings for his final NFL seasons, it won’t be out of a desire to torch the franchise he represented for so long.
Rodgers hasn’t publicly stated his intentions to continue playing. Still, if he does, it’s because he’s considering his legacy and wants to play football. He’s not trying to get revenge on the Packers, even if he does hold some ill will toward certain members of the organization.
Three teams make sense for Rodgers at this point in his career — the Vikings, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New York Giants. The Vikings job happens to be the most attractive of the three.
The Vikings outperformed preseason expectations last season, thanks to outstanding coaching. They have the league’s best wide receiver, a running back Rodgers is fond of, and he’s familiar with their offensive playstyle.
Pittsburgh is the next best option. The team has talented but contentious George Pickens and traded for DK Metcalf, giving Rodgers a nice receiving corps. Mike Tomlin is a respected coach, and Pittsburgh’s defense has kept them relevant. But the Steelers have lost in the Wild Card round in four of the past five seasons.
The Giants were comically bad last season, publicly botched multiple personnel decisions, and don’t look like they’ll compete in a division with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. It’s hard to see Rodgers having much success with such a lackluster team, but it could be a final challenge for the future Hall of Famer, and he’s already living nearby.
Minnesota is by far the most favorable spot. Still, the real question is whether they want Rodgers. Minnesota’s offseason moves suggest they’re preparing to move forward with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback. They could have pushed harder to keep Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones if they wanted a bridge option.
Therefore, will the Vikings want to sign an aging veteran to keep their investment off the field? And would Rodgers truly want to spend his final seasons with another successor nipping at his heels?
Ultimately, the NFL world is hanging on these decisions. Rodgers is reportedly waiting to see if the Vikings want him while the Giants and Steelers wait on Rodgers.
Rodgers going to the Vikings would be fun for the memes, but it won’t have the same revenge angle as Favre’s stint. Personally, I hope Rodgers retires. His recent years haven’t been flattering, but he’s still one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and brought me much joy. I don’t really want to see his Scrubs season 9/Mass Effect Andromeda-esque fall from grace continue.
History could repeat itself, and our legendary Packer-turned-Jet quarterback could finish his career in Minnesota just like Brett Favre. But even in the unlikely event it does turn out that way, it won’t be as emotionally impactful as Favre’s traitorous act.
