Aaron Rodgers had two extremely dissapointing seasons with the New York Jets that ended with Jets head coach Aaron Glenn telling the four-time MVP that his services would no longer be required in the Big Apple. Many thought that Rodgers’ days as an effective quarterback in the NFL were long behind him.

However, Rodgers proved his detractors wrong this season in Pittsburgh, leading the Steel City to the AFC North title in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has revealed that Rodgers won’t be returning to the Steelers next season, following head coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down after 19 seasons with the franchise.

It’s interesting verbiage, as Rapoport didn’t say that Rodgers would be retiring. Interestingly enough, Rodgers actually hinted heading into Wild Card weekend, where the Steelers lost 30-6 to the Houston Texans, that he would have a couple of options if he wanted to play next season.

“I’m 42, and I’m on a 1-year deal. You know what the situation is. Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent. That’ll give me a lot of options if I still want to play — Not a lot of options, but … I would think maybe 1 or 2 if I decide I still want to play.”

Enter Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings were not only one of the franchises Rodgers was linked to before ultimately signing with the Steelers, but they’re also in the market for a veteran quarterback, after Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell acknowledged that he wanted to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy after a disappointing 2025 campaign.

“That’s what’s going to make everybody better in that room. It’s going to be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition. That should be how our entire organization looks at their individual roles when we compete against each other in the different aspects of the offseason,” O’Connell said.