The polarizing topic of Aaron Rodgers potentially finishing his career in Minnesota finally died down this week when multiple reports revealed that the Vikings were no longer pursuing the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Though the Vikings had some conversations with Rodgers, which indicates they were at least considering him as an option, they ultimately decided to move forward into the spring with J.J. McCarthy as their starter.

Thank goodness that logic prevailed.

As easy as it was to romanticize the idea of Rodgers fulfilling the prophecy and following in the footsteps of Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, there’s no indication that his presence would have actually gotten the Vikings any closer to the Super Bowl.

It’s been a few seasons since Rodgers has looked like the man who used to terrorize the NFC North at the peak of his powers. He was mid during his final act with the Green Bay Packers, and has been an abject failure over the past couple of seasons with the New York Jets.

The arm strength that used to define him has diminished. The mobility that used to be his biggest strength might now be his biggest weakness. To think that Rodgers would be completely revitalized simply because the Vikings are loaded on offense is, at best, wishful given the evidence at hand, and, at worse, harmful to the future of the franchise.

If the Vikings rolled the dice with Rodgers, anything less than winning the Super Bowl would be unacceptable. The nightmare scenario would be willfully stunting the development of McCarthy only to have Rodgers come in and look like he has over the past few seasons.

There has been a plan in place ever since general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell were less than a month apart in February 2022. They committed to competing in the short term while simultaneously laying a foundation that could sustain success in the long term.

They have perfectly executed their plan; there’s no sense in blowing it up for a 41-year-old dinosaur who has looked every bit his age as of late.

The regression from Rodgers doesn’t even begin to take into account the fact the that he comes with a ton of baggage. He’s a walking conspiracy theory who often makes headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Is the juice worth the squeeze at this point in his career? It’s pretty clear that the Vikings don’t think so.

Never mind that Rodgers could sign elsewhere in the near future — the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants are still interested — or maybe even decide he’s ready to hang up the cleats for good. As the Vikings prepare for McCarthy to take over under center, they shouldn’t care what Rodgers does.

The main objective for the Vikings over the next few months should be putting McCarthy in the best position to succeed after selecting him with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He still exists mostly as an unknown after suffering a torn meniscus as a rookie that landed him on injured reserve.

As risky as it might be to hand the keys to McCarthy with a roster that looks capable of competing for the Super Bowl, it would be even more risky for the Vikings to delay the process of figuring out what they have in him.

That wouldn’t be possible with Rodgers around.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell gives quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) a hug during warmups before he start of a NFL football preseason game against Las Vegas at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Aug., 10 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

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