Vikings Misses and Myths: Aaron Rodgers in 2026, the Jefferson Disrespect, Carson Wentz

Momentum around Rodgers’ future has shifted a bit. What once felt like a likely return to Pittsburgh now carries some uncertainty, and the latest reporting only adds to that.

Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh this week, delivering the intel that Rodgers is likely on his way out.

“Having spoken to people who were around him, who have been around him, most everyone that I’ve spoken to who has been around him feels that the chance that he comes back to play is minuscule, so you take that for what it’s worth,” he said on the program.

“In conversations with people who were around him all year, who were with him when he was leaving the Steelers when the season was over, all of those people that I spoke to said that it seems far more likely that he is done than that he is going to return.”

Before Kinkhabwala’s comments circulated, the prevailing belief was that Rodgers would get one more run in Pittsburgh. Now, the tone has changed. Retirement feels firmly on the table, and the league is bracing accordingly.

And, of course, if Rodgers retires, he’ll exit stage left from the Vikings’ rumor mill once and for all.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope of Rodgers as a Vikings’ QB1 option if the retirement rumors are accurate.

The Nopedy Nope: Just Jefferson is the 92nd-best player in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus raised eyebrows with its latest Top 101 list, sliding Justin Jefferson near the bottom tier of the rankings. The placement sparked immediate debate, especially given Jefferson’s standing across the league.

PFF ranked Jefferson ninth from the bottom in its Top 101 and explained, “Although Jefferson finished with the fewest receiving yards of his career in 2025, that was largely not his fault. Jefferson’s 80.5 PFF overall grade ranked 16th among wide receivers this season. However, his 87.8 PFF receiving grade against zone coverage ranked sixth.”

Minnesota’s 2025 season was marred by instability at quarterback. J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer all saw considerable playing time, creating a revolving door that prevented the offense from establishing any rhythm.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on Jefferson as the league’s 92nd-best player. PFF should really give its rankings a “real world” check before publication.

The Nopedy Nope: Carson Wentz may be the “other QB” solution for the Vikings in 2026.

Examining the Vikings’ possible plan at quarterback in the comign weeks and months, the Star Tribune‘s Goessling wrote about Wentz this week, “As the ethics of playing Wentz through his painful left shoulder injury became a topic of national discussion in October, sources said one of the reasons the quarterback carried no ill will toward the Vikings was because his stint as the team’s starter might help him earn a contract in 2026.”

“Could that contract be with the Vikings? It’s possible, though the team might circle back to Wentz after considering its options at QB. Assuming Wentz, 33, plays in 2026, he’d likely do so on a one-year deal.”

Max Brosmer as the QB3 fallback plan. They’ve already watched that movie.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on Wentz as the Vikings’ main quarterback fix this offseason.

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