Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers has gone out of his way to live out his NFL career differently than his Hall of Fame, Green Bay Packers predecessor Brett Favre. However, he may soon have the opportunity to completely retrace Favre's career.
Favre is the NFL's all-time interceptions leader, having thrown 508 passing touchdowns to 336 interceptions. Rodgers went out of his way to avoid turnovers, and he largely has, registering the best touchdown to interception ratio in NFL history (4.39) with 492 passing touchdowns to 112 interceptions. Favre notoriously beefed with his eventual replacement in Rodgers after the latter was chosen in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and Rodgers ensured he treated his eventual replacement Jordan Love, who backed him up for three seasons after being selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, with kindness and respect.
The former teammates and all-time greats have much in common when it comes to their careers: both won at least three NFL MVPs (three for Favre and four for Rodgers) and a Super Bowl in their tenures as Packers starting quarterbacks. Both were traded to the New York Jets after becoming disgruntled with the Green Bay front office when the organization made it clear it wanted to move on to their first-round pick backups.
Following Rodgers' disappointing 2024 season, he now has a chance to follow in Favre's footsteps one last time: he can become the Minnesota Vikings quarterback for the last stop of his 20-plus year NFL career following one full, disappointing season as the Jets starting quarterback.
This may sound crazy, but let's go step by step into how this shocking possibility could become a reality and why it would make sense.
Step 1: The Jets release Rodgers at the end of the season
With New York firing general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday, their next general manager and head coach likely won't enjoy beginning their new regime with a 41-year-old quarterback they didn't choose who will be coming off what could end up as the worst season of a future Hall of Fame career. New York it makes the most sense for the Jets, in that scenario, to simply release Rodgers and eat the $49 million dead cap that comes with such a transaction. SportsNet New York is reporting that the Jets would like to part ways with Rodgers at the end of the season. The Packers stomached a $40 million cap hit on their 2023 salary cap and reached the NFC Divisional Round of the postseason, so that isn't necessarily a death sentence.
| Aaron Rodgers Career Ranks Through 11 Games of a Season | Career Rank* | |
|---|---|---|
Losses | 8 | Worst |
Team PPG | 18.5 | 2nd-Worst |
Pass Yards/Attempt | 6.4 | Worst |
Pass YPG | 222.0 | Worst |
TD-INT | 17-7 | 3rd-worst |
Passer Rating | 88.9 | Worst |
Expected Points Added/Play | -0.08 | Worst |
* Min. two games started
Step 2: The Vikings decide not to re-sign Sam Darnold to a multi-year deal after the best season of his career
Sure, Sam Darnold leads the NFL with 14 turnovers this season, but he has produced career-bests in completion percentage (67.9%), passing yards per game (238.7) and passer rating (100.0) in 2024. Plus, he'll only be 28-years-old in 2025, meaning some team without a quarterback will pay up to acquire his services when he hits free agency next March.
It wouldn't make sense for the Vikings to commit long-term to Darnold with the 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, waiting in the wings. McCarthy is also different than Rodgers was behind Favre and Love was behind Rodgers: he isn't just developing quietly behind the scenes. McCarthy is in the midst of recovering from a second knee surgery this season. He tore his meniscus in the preseason, and he needed a second operation on his right knee to help combat swelling that began in the knee once McCarthy intensified his physical therapy regimen.
Step 3: The Vikings decide to bring in a veteran bridge QB with McCarthy returning from a significant knee injury
Minnesota originally signed Darnold this past offseason to act as a bridge quarterback in the event that McCarthy wasn't going to start right away and so that he could have a veteran mentor. It would be understandable for them to bring another veteran into their quarterback room in the event there any more hiccups with McCarthy's recovery. Knee injuries with young, top 10 quarterbacks aren't anything to play with: just ask 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III about that.
Step 4: Rodgers officially decides to keep playing football
Rodgers himself said, "I think so, yeah," when asked if he still wants to play football in 2025. Why does he still want to keep playing when he was accomplished everything the NFL has to offer from league MVPs, to winning the Super Bowl and winning Super Bowl MVP?
No one may have better insight into what drives Rodgers than his favorite target Davante Adams, who has caught more receiving touchdowns (69) from the mercurial quarterback than any other player has. Here's what drives Rodgers to keep grinding for at least another year despite a worst-case scenario season.
"He's achieved a lot, obviously, but I think he's driven by not being able to win multiple Super Bowls," Adams said, via ESPN. "He's won one, but he's been in situations where he's had the opportunity to almost taste it, almost touch it. Not being able to secure a championship at a higher rate is something that has, I won't say bothers him, but it has motivated him to continue on at this old age."
Step 5: Rodgers signs with the Vikings in free agency in 2025
The 2025 NFL free agency quarterback class thins out quickly after Darnold and Rodgers. Zach Wilson, Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota, Andy Dalton, Drew Lock, Jarrett Stidham, Justin Fields, Joe Flacco and Jameis Winston are the best of the rest.
None of them can provide the Hall of Fame experience Rodgers can. Plus, Rodgers is driven to play for a place he feels he can win. Throwing the football to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson should be enough to entice him along with defensive coordinator Brian Flores' top 10 defense. There is also a scheme familiarity between Rodgers and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. Like Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, with whom Rodgers won back-to-back NFL MVPs under in 2020 and 2021, O'Connell comes from the Shanahan-McVay coaching tree. LaFleur has worked as a quarterback coach under Shanahan and as McVay's first offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. O'Connell also worked as McVay's Rams offensive coordinator for two seasons from 2020 to 2021.
Both LaFleur and O'Connell run variations of Shanahan scheme built around motion, lining up under center, high play-action usage and a zone blocking scheme. One year with Rodgers in Minnesota could help McCarthy's development from both a health and football IQ perspective, and Rodgers could allow Minnesota to play a similar, winning brand of football while committing fewer turnovers than Darnold. Aside from his mobility to being what it once as, playing in vanilla, antiquated offensive scheme is one of the biggest things holding Rodgers back this season. He and O'Connell could be an ideal match just for 2025, and then McCarthy could be fully ready to go in 2026.
Plus, Rodgers is notorious for holding on to grudges, so he definitely still feels like he has a score to settle with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. Having the chance to play the Packers twice in 2025 would allow him to scratch that itch, and fulfill his destiny as Brett Favre 2.0.