Vikings GM leaves door open for Aaron Rodgers, but ‘happy’ with J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings aren’t pursuing Aaron Rodgers at the moment, preferring to make J.J. McCarthy their starting quarterback. However, they still won’t rule out the possibility of signing the four-time MVP.

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted to reporters on Wednesday that the team had internal discussions about potentially signing Rodgers earlier in March, sharing that they could still potentially sign him down the road.

“For me to sit here and say that anything’s 100 percent forever, that’s just not the job,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We’re responding to scenarios and different information as it comes. So obviously things can change, but right now we’re really happy with our [quarterback] room and we’re going to look to upgrade it in different ways.”

Minnesota became a potential suitor for Rodgers in the opening week of free agency, when it lost Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts, respectively. It was reported that the team had internal discussions about potentially signing Rodgers after losing both quarterbacks before news emerged on March 19 that it wouldn’t pursue a deal with the future Hall of Famer at the moment.

Adofo-Mensah said the Vikings’ possibility of signing Rodgers “had to be part of our conversations” before concluding that the team “didn’t think it was the right move at this point.”

“I think we got to a place where we just said, everybody was transparent, but right now we feel good about where we’re going, and that’s really how it ended,” Adofo-Mensah said of the Vikings’ talks with Rodgers. “It’s ultimately up to him, it’s hard to talk about a player who’s not under contract for our team and who isn’t a member of this team. It’s ultimately up to him what he decides to do with his future, but that’s kind of where we left it.

“I know [Vikings coach] Kevin [O’Connell] and him have a great relationship still, they’ll still have a relationship and keep talking, but right now I’m focused on the two [quarterbacks] that are in our room right now and my personnel process going forward.”

With the Vikings turning down Rodgers after losing Darnold and Jones, McCarthy will presumably enter the offseason program as their starting quarterback. The second-year quarterback has yet to be told that, though. McCarthy said on Tuesday’s “Up & Adams” show that the team hasn’t informed him he’ll be their starting quarterback yet.

Adofo-Mensah didn’t announce McCarthy as the team’s starting quarterback on Wednesday, although he strongly indicated that he’ll be under center when the team takes the field to open the 2025 season.

“That’s the outcome we want, and that’s the outcome we’re headed towards,” Adofo-Mensah said of the Vikings starting McCarthy. “At every checkpoint, whether it’s been the draft process or practice until the injury or really the offseason now, he’s met the bar, he’s exceeded our expectations at every point. So, don’t have the ability to tell you what the future is, but I can tell you what I expect to be the outcome this offseason from the competition.

“It’s also our job to set up a quarterback room that’s going to be able to meet, have great ideas and prepare whoever it is to play, but also provide insurance in case someone needs to come in for a couple games. That’s our job as a personnel department is to look at all the options out there and make sure we’re setting ourselves up for the best case we can.”

Vikings move on from Aaron Rodgers, What is his next destination?

The Vikings traded up one spot to select McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, nabbing him after losing Kirk Cousins last offseason. He competed with Darnold for the starting quarterback job last summer, with some wondering if he could actually start for Minnesota in Week 1. That possibility ended before the season began, though, as McCarthy suffered a season-ending meniscus tear.

McCarthy wound up undergoing surgery on his injured knee twice, causing some potential long-term concerns. But Adofo-Mensah likes what he’s seen from McCarthy in his rehab. He also likes the other quarterback they’ve got as it’s been rumored the Vikings could be on the market to add a veteran.

“We’re happy with our [quarterbacks] room,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Obviously, we’re going to talk a lot about J.J. McCarthy, but Brett Rypien, who’s someone we brought in last offseason, who we thought made a lot of great decisions, quick decision-making, processing, a better athlete than people give him credit for, an accurate passer. So, we’re excited about him.”

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!