Aaron Rodgers ought to go full Brett Favre and signal with the Vikings

Aaron Rodgers and the Jets are destined to interrupt up, which shouldn’t shock anybody. The group went all-in on constructing a staff designed to cater to Rodgers, hoping a tailored offense and already stout protection may convey them the quick-hit Tremendous Bowl the group coveted, making them a brand new model of the Buccaneers or Rams.

Clearly that didn’t work. Now there are stories the Jets would possibly place Rodgers on IR for the rest of the season, earlier than chopping him previous to the draft. The 40-year-old quarterback nonetheless needs to play in 2025, and there’s one touchdown spot that simply makes an excessive amount of sense due to how Rodgers’ profession has mirrored the person he changed.

Picture by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Photos

Nothing can be extra excellent than Rodgers closing out his profession again within the NFC North, for one of many Packers’ fiercest rivals. To tackle the mantle of Brett Favre with a premium on pettiness — and the weirdest a part of that is that it really sort of is smart for everybody concerned.

The bottom-level historical past is simply too apparent to disregard: Brett Favre wished to maintain taking part in after flirting with retirement for years, the Packers wished to maneuver on with Rodgers earlier than his rookie contract was up. The very same factor occurred with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.

Each Favre and Rodgers had been traded to the Jets for a tune, with the expectation they’d have the ability to assist a stellar protection and win a championship. That by no means occurred.

Favre insisted he may preserve taking part in, went to Minnesota and virtually led the Vikings to a Tremendous Bowl, throwing to a stellar receiving duo of Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin — narrowly shedding to the Saints within the NFC Championship Recreation.

Let’s talk about the soccer facet of this and why it would really make sense for everybody right here. Clearly Rodgers will take any job he can get if he needs to maintain taking part in, however there’s going to be a reasonably slim market on groups with professional possibilities to win a championship however who’re in want of a QB. It basically comes all the way down to the Vikings, and that’s it.

Some dangerous staff goes to overpay Sam Darnold. That’s locked within the tea leaves already. Minnesota is simply too good to get right into a bidding struggle with J.J. McCarthy ready within the wings. That mentioned, additionally they need to win proper now, which is the place Rodgers enters the image.

Take into account that there was a promising QB in Minnesota as properly once they in the end elected to signal Favre in 2009. Tarvaris Jackson had an unbelievable finish to the 2008 season, ending with simply over 1,000 passing yards, 9 TDs, and a pair of INTs in restricted time as a starter. It might have been simple to show the staff over to Jackson completely, however the perception was that the roster was ok to actually go for it if they’d a longtime quarterback.

Now the 2024 Vikings are exhibiting the very same factor.

Honestly, it’s too early to make this into McCarthy’s staff — particularly in gentle of the season-ending accidents which have prevented him from being lively in studying the offense on the observe area. Turning this staff over to him can be tantamount to giving a Ferrari to a teen as their first automotive, earlier than watching them grind the gears, and blow out the clutch earlier than ever getting it into fourth.

Whereas Rodgers hasn’t essentially clicked with the Jets offense this 12 months, he has put up respectable numbers. The shortage of explosive performs has been a critical situation, however that might be tremendously ameliorated with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Throw in working again Aaron Jones, who performed with Rodgers in Inexperienced Bay — and sprinkle in Kevin O’Connell’s model of West Coast offense, which is way extra suited to Rodgers’ skills. Man, there is likely to be one thing right here for 2025.

It matches the Vikings’ entire plan of a “aggressive rebuild,” a phrase they used a 12 months in the past when it was clear the Kirk Cousins period was drawing to an in depth they usually’d be choosing a brand new QB. Let’s say Rodgers has yet one more 12 months left within the tank, two tops — then McCarthy would nonetheless solely be 23 or 24 earlier than taking the beginning job, with the power to get absolutely wholesome and be taught the system.

As a lot as Vikings followers would possibly hate the thought, additionally they hated the thought of Favre earlier than he got here in and was their hero for 2 years. Wilder issues have occurred within the NFL, and when you love historical past repeating then it may very well be the right answer for each Minnesota and Rodgers shifting ahead.