20-year veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is looking for his third NFL team after the New York Jets informed him he’ll be released with a post-June 1 designation. The Minnesota Vikings are a potential landing spot after they’ve made it clear they aren’t interested in a big payday for Sam Darnold.
Rodgers’ former Jets teammate Sauce Gardner took to X reacting to the Rodgers, Minnesota rumors. He believes the results of Rodgers on the Vikings would be historic.
Sauce Gardner Thinks Aaron Rodgers Would Re-Write Record Books In Minnesota
Rodgers was traded to the Jets in the 2023 offseason and signed a three-year, $112.5 million contract. His first season in New York never got going, though, as he tore his Achilles four plays into the season opener. The team went 7-10 and expected big things from Rodgers in 2024.
He made it through the season opener, but an early-season five-game losing streak quickly took the Jets out of playoff contention. Rodgers finished his 20th season with 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. 2024 was one of the worst statistical seasons in the ten-time Pro Bowler’s career, and the Jets made head coach and GM changes mid-season.
Rodgers finished 2024 at No. 21 in PFSN’s QB+ metric with a 72.2 (C- grade). He had a -0.02 EPA per dropback (27th), ranked 36th from a clean pocket (0.07 EPA per dropback), and converted just 33.5% of the time on third down (29th). His 6.2 nYPA ranked 30th and was very low, considering he got 5.8 yards after catch per completion, which ranked ninth last season.
New Jets’ GM Darren Mougey decided to release Rodgers and eat his $49 million in dead cap money for 2025. So, where does the veteran QB go from here? Some former players feel there isn’t a market for Rodgers and that his teams did better when he was on the sideline rather than on the field.
A potential landing spot for Rodgers is the Vikings, who seem content with JJ McCarthy coming off a torn knee rather than re-signing Darnold. Minnesota’s offense finished No. 13 in PFSN’s Offense+ rankings, and Gardner thinks they would do even better with Rodgers at the helm.
if Aaron goes to the Vikings, he might be #1 in all QB stats😭 https://t.co/2zuNJr885K
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) March 9, 2025
Gardner responded to FOX Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz’s tweet, “If Aaron goes to the Vikings, he might be #1 in all QB stats.” Teaming Rodgers with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison would be explosive. Jefferson has eclipsed 1,000 yards each of his five NFL seasons and is arguably the best receiver in the league. Meanwhile, Addison has recorded 19 touchdowns in his first two seasons.
Rodgers can’t do it all at this stage of his career, but throwing to top-end receivers like Jefferson and Addison could be historic, as Gardner says. He’s thrown for over 4,000 yards ten times in his career and 40 or more touchdowns three times, so throwing proven to weapons in Minnesota could shatter those numbers. Playing against the Green Bay Packers twice a year would be the cherry on top of potentially becoming a Viking.