The Minnesota Vikings still have questions at the quarterback position. For the third straight offseason, they don’t have a definitive answer, with J.J. McCarthy still a work in progress. They’re expected to bring a veteran option to compete for the job, and one name stands out above the others.
NFL Analyst Urges Vikings To Sign Aaron Rodgers for the 2026 Season
Before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, there were reports that Aaron Rodgers wanted to join the Vikings and work with Kevin O’Connell. Ultimately, Minnesota decided to stick with J.J. McCarthy, and the veteran joined Mike Tomlin’s team. He had a solid season and led the Steelers to a 10-7 record.
At 42, retirement is near for Rodgers, who’s expected to decide on his future in the next few weeks. Former quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes that the veteran is the best option for Minnesota in 2026 if he decides to continue playing, and the crew debated other options.
“Well, No. 1. This team is in ‘win-now’ mode. They don’t have time to be waiting on J.J. McCarthy. If you have a Justin Jefferson, who I still feel like is the best receiver in the game, you have a solid No. 2 in Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, well, you need a piece to the puzzle that gets those guys the football. Rodgers is that piece.”
1️⃣ Aaron Rodgers
2️⃣ Kirk Cousins
3️⃣ Kyler Murray@danorlovsky7 on which QBs the Vikings should target this offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/G2gYmIvZAN— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 26, 2026
Pairing the 10-time Pro Bowler with McCarthy could turn out to be a home run for the Vikings. Minnesota’s roster is full of good players, and their 14-3 record in 2024 shows that they can compete. If Rodgers decides to continue playing and displays the same level as he did in Pittsburgh, the team could make a run for the NFC North.
This would put Rodgers in line to face the Green Bay Packers two times in the 2026 season. He played most of his career in Green Bay as a first-round pick in the 2005 draft. During his stint with the Packers, he won Super Bowl 45 and earned four MVP awards, leaving the franchise after the 2022 season.
Two other options discussed by Orlovsky include Kirk Cousins, who played in Minnesota from 2018 to 2023, and Mac Jones, a former first-round pick who’s now the backup for the San Francisco 49ers. On his X account, Orlovsky urged the Vikings to acquire Jones in a trade with the 49ers.
