The Minnesota Vikings have decided they will not be pursuing a deal for Aaron Rodgers.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero announced early Wednesday the Vikings have made the decision to commit to J.J. McCarthy as their starter next season.
The franchise has reportedly rejected multiple trade calls for McCarthy, the former Michigan QB who won a national championship with the Wolverines, in recent weeks.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell still wants to bring an experienced quarterback into the locker room to support McCarthy but it will not be Rodgers.
It leaves the 41-year-old still looking for a new team after getting released by the New York Jets.
Possible landing spots are getting fewer, particularly with the NFL Draft still to come and it now looks likely he will join either the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants.
The Minnesota Vikings have decided they will not be pursuing a deal for Aaron Rodgers
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has decided to commit to J.J. McCarthy as his starter next year
Reports had said the Vikings were Rodgers’ preferred landing spot.
They went 14-3 last season before back-to-back defeats by the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams sent them miss out on the NFC’s No. 1 seed and crash out in the wild card round of the playoffs.
O’Connell’s team boasts exceptional offensive talent with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones and TJ Hockenson all signed up for next season.
However, it is a huge show of confidence in McCarthy going into the new season.
The 22-year-old tore his right meniscus during his preseason debut last August, causing him to miss all of his first season in Minnesota.
Now with Sam Darnold moving on to the Seattle Seahawks, and Daniel Jones trying to become the starter in Indianapolis, McCarthy has the inside track to be the Vikings’ top signal caller.
