Vikings Showing Interest in Reuniting J.J. McCarthy With Familiar Face…
The Minnesota Vikings passed on the option of signing future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers earlier this offseason. That decision signaled their full belief in young quarterback and former Michigan Wolverines star J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy was drafted with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. It was clear when he was drafted that the Vikings viewed him as their long-term future under center. Now, Minnesota will need to surrounding McCarthy with as much talent as possible ahead of his first year as the starting quarterback. With that in mind, the Vikings are showing interest in reuniting McCarthy with a very familiar face from his days at Michigan. According to a report from Ian Rapoport, as shared by TheWolverine.com, Minnesota is hosting Michigan running back Kalel Mullings on a top 30 visit. The Minnesota Vikings are hosting Michigan RB Kalel Mullings on a top 30 visit, per @RapSheet Could he and J.J. McCarthy team up again? pic.twitter.com/20pxZ3Qkd1
— TheWolverine.com (@TheWolverineOn3) April 15, 2025 Mullings would be a great fit for the Vikings behind veteran starter Aaron Jones. He could make an immediate impact and help keep Jones fresh and healthy throughout the season. During the 2024 college football season with the Wolverines, Mullings put up good production. He carried the football 185 times for 948 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging a solid 5.1 yards per carry. He only caught six passes for 35 yards on the year. Bringing in pieces to help McCarthy feel more comfortable would be wise. Minnesota targeting one of his former college teammates could help that cause. While Mullings would not be a first round pick or anything close to it, he could be a piece that the Vikings target in the fifth or sixth round. Related: Cowboys Insider Sends Jerry Jones Bold 4-Word Micah Parsons Message..
Vikings faith in J.J. McCarthy reaches intoxicating new level after recent report..
With no regular-season starting experience in the NFL, it is perfectly fine for people to have concerns about J.J. McCarthy becoming the new Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback this year. But a new report about Aaron Rodgers reveals just how confident the Vikings truly are about having McCarthy be the one to lead them into the future.
On Monday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer revealed the sales pitch from Rodgers earlier this offseason that Minnesota ultimately decided to turn down.
“[Rodgers] reached out to the Vikings, with the idea of making a one-year run at a Lombardi and tying it to being a willing mentor for McCarthy.”
Minnesota Vikings turn down Super Bowl pitch from Aaron Rodgers to roll with J.J. McCarthy
While some might think that Rodgers starting under center would give the Vikings a better chance to win the Super Bowl next season than McCarthy, the team clearly doesn’t feel that way.
Minnesota has already invested a significant amount of time and resources in giving McCarthy all the tools he needs to succeed in 2025. Bringing in Rodgers for a one-year experiment could potentially throw all that work with the young signal-caller out the window.
Beyond the depletion of the former New York Jets and Green Bay Packers quarterback’s skills in the last few years (28th in the NFL in QBR in 2024), a circus full of unwanted drama has seemed to follow him around recently. That’s not something the Vikings want to get in the middle of, especially after watching Rodgers tear apart the Jets from the inside last season.
He probably thought he could use his snake-oil sales skills to easily convince Minnesota to sign him this offseason. But the Vikings are not the Jets, and Minnesota isn’t going to risk damaging its future with McCarthy just to give Rodgers another opportunity to find out he’s no longer capable of playing at an MVP level.
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