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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after a Week 4 matchup against the Vikings.
Despite firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Minnesota Vikings‘ hands are not clean of the poor decisions made at quarterback in the past year, including the team’s flirtation with Aaron Rodgers last spring.
Prepared to lose Sam Darnold in free agency, the Vikings needed a veteran to pair with J.J. McCarthy. Daniel Jones was the obvious candidate after he spent the final months of the 2024 season in Minnesota.
However, when Jones bet on himself to win the starting job in Indianapolis, the Vikings did not land a contingency plan in peak free agency.
That led to Rodgers reaching out to head coach Kevin O’Connell in late March. Their conversation became the buzz of the NFL, and the Vikings’ silence in addressing the rumors for almost two weeks legitimized their interest.
Every step by the organization over the past year is currently under a microscope, and Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller revealed that the Vikings’ lack of trust in Adofo-Mensah led to higher-ups meddling in decision-making.
How they may have impacted the Rodgers saga has also come into question.
Vikings’ Aaron Rodgers Debacle Could Have Played a Part in Team’s QB Decision
In a January 31 article, Coller revealed that a source considers the media circus that followed the Rodgers talks could have played a part in the Vikings’ passing on another proven veteran quarterback despite a clear need.
“What we do know is that the Vikings had expected to be able to sign Daniel Jones,” Coller wrote. “Aaron Rodgers called O’Connell about joining the Vikings and KOC looped in the rest of the staff. Someone leaked out the conversation to the media, which turned into an unexpected wild fire. One source wondered if the negative reaction from fans and media kept ownership from wanting Rodgers.”
Let’s leave rumors and reputation aside for a moment.
Rodgers was a capable starting quarterback who was willing to work with the Vikings for a chance to play in Minnesota. After Adofo-Mensah’s firing on Friday, January 30, sources told The Athletic that Rodgers was willing to take a “below-market” deal to work with the Vikings. He checked those essential boxes.
There were over a dozen quarterbacks with 30 or more starts who were pending 2025 free agents. Per The Athletic, “the Vikings assessed the potential fit of veterans Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill, who wanted a starter-level contract, according to league sources.”
A deal was not struck with Flacco or Tannehill, while Rodgers was willing to make a deal work.
Instead, the Vikings moved on, trading for Sam Howell, who was ousted after a poor preseason, leading to the eventual signing of Carson Wentz off the streets. Wentz struggled to keep the team on track, especially while playing through an injured shoulder for several weeks, when McCarthy missed time with an ankle injury.
The Vikings had already splurged in free agency by the time Rodgers called, and he was willing to take a team-friendly deal. That should have left the decision solely for O’Connell. Any inkling of ownership’s involvement is of concern, especially during the present organizational shuffling.
Vikings Forced Poor Decision to Trade for Adam Thielen: Report
Another piece of Coller’s reporting was the tension around the Adam Thielen trade last offseason.
The Vikings needed receiver depth with Jordan Addison serving a three-game suspension and several injuries left the receiver room barren weeks before the season opener.
As a former commodities trader, Adofo-Mensah’s area of expertise was trades and assessing player value. Thielen did not match the production to warrant the fourth-round pick the team gave up to land him, catching just eight passes for 69 yards in 11 games.
Coller’s sourcing revealed that there was frustration about Adofo-Mensah’s struggles to supply depth, which led to the higher-ups going over Adofo-Mensah to land Thielen.
“As the season opener grew nearer and starting QB JJ McCarthy was getting ready for his first career start, the Vikings got desperate. Coaches needed another receiver because the front office hadn’t provided them with enough depth despite being aware of Addison’s suspension,” Coller wrote. “Multiple sources told Purple Insider that executive vice president Rob Brzezinski called Carolina GM Dan Morgan to get the deal over the finish line because they felt Adofo-Mensah hadn’t been aggressive enough. Thus, Thielen became a Viking at the cost of what equated to a fourth-round pick.”
Read more about the Thielen trade fiasco here.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
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