Sixteen days have passed since NFL free agency started going wild. It feels like it's been months, but in the grand scheme of things it's only bee a couple of weeks. Still, Aaron Rodgers lurks and the ink connecting him to the Minnesota Vikings continues to spill onto digital paper.
Maybe the Vikings have zero plans to entertain the Rodgers idea any further. Maybe QB1 in Minnesota is J.J. McCarthy's job, even though he hasn't been told so. Maybe general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will paint a clear picture when he takes questions from reporters on Wednesday. But as long as Rodgers remains unsigned and the Vikings don't slam the door in his face, the smoke will billow.
The latest smoke, if you will, comes from Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Like his colleague Dianna Russini, he is indicating that organized team activities this spring may be paramount for the Vikings to fully buy into the idea of McCarthy entering the season as QB1.
"McCarthy has not participated in a team workout since last fall. He’ll have that opportunity this spring and summer, and he seems to understand the magnitude of his performance and disposition," Lewis wrote Tuesday.
"The Vikings have yet to round out their quarterback room with another backup besides [Brett Rypien]. Until that happens, or until Rodgers signs with Pittsburgh (or retires), his fit with Minnesota cannot be ruled out. Again, this underscores the importance of this spring and summer for McCarthy. The Vikings are hoping he solidifies why they picked him at No. 10 over the next few weeks and months."
All of this tracks with what Russini reported on March 20, when she said the Vikings aren't ready to commit to Rodgers but they aren't in or out on him definitively because they supposedly need to see more from McCarthy.
Rodgers has visited the Pittsburgh Steelers but a deal hasn't been reached. Meanwhile, the New York Giants have signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, so the Steelers and Vikings are the only logical landing spots for Rodgers if he wants to play for a contender in 2025.
"Rodgers is still on their radar," Russini said of Minnesota on March 20. "They need to learn something this spring. I don't know what that is, but they need to see something. I think they want to see where [McCarthy is] at physically, where he's at mentally. There's a lot in play here before they really make their decision that they're officially done with Aaron Rodgers. There's no in or out on Rodgers, it's just for right now."
Meanwhile, we wait.
