Mike Florio reopens door to Aaron Rodgers joining Vikings
Aaron Rodgers, once again, has the NFL zeitgeist guessing. The former Packers and Jets quarterback is looking or waiting for a port to open up in the storm that is NFL free agency. Many speculated that Rodgers was set to find one with Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings.
However, reports claimed that the Vikings decided they were all-in on JJ McCarthy. The young quarterback has yet to start a regular season game for the franchise, but they'd rather try him than the veteran quarterback. That said, Mike Florio of "Pro Football Talk" made a statement on the podcast on March 20 in direct contradiction to that.
041 Mike Florio "Here's how it's been framed. Because the first wave created the impression they were out on Rodgers, but as it was worded by NFL media 'at this time.' 'They're not pursuing Rodgers at this time,'" he said.
"So then they had to do a second wave to make sure everybody understood exactly what was going on. ... If JJ McCarthy craps and or urinates the bed in the offseason program, or if, for some reason, they have concerns that McCarthy isn't the guy, they can swing back to Rodgers later," he added. PFT
The report Florio appeared to be referencing was by Tom Pelissero.
"The team plans to add a veteran. But they’re not pursuing Rodgers at this time. McCarthy now enters the offseason as QB1," Pelissero reported.
So, the door appears to be open for Rodgers once again, but not wide open.
Aaron Rodgers' chances to follow Brett Favre on life support
For two years, the Aaron Rodgers-Brett Favre mirroring career paths were essentially on track.
Brett Favre played for the Green Bay Packers and spent a year with the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers also played for the Green Bay Packers before joining the New York Jets for one full starting season.
Now, Rodgers has a shot to join the Minnesota Vikings just like Brett Favre did. However, the reports dropped on March 19 threw cold water on it.
Florio's perceptive read on the reports notwithstanding, the quarterback's chances to complete the Favre career arc appear to be at an all-time low in Aaron Rodgers' career. Will he complete the arc?