The Minnesota Vikings find themselves at a bit of a crossroads - not just in terms of quarterback play, but in the locker room dynamics that come with it. Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson has made it clear he’s backing JJ McCarthy as the team’s quarterback moving forward. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t lingering questions about the path not taken - namely, the decision to let Sam Darnold walk.
Running back Aaron Jones didn’t mince words when speaking about that choice. In a recent interview, he opened up about the team’s failure to retain Darnold, who has since become a key part of the Seattle Seahawks’ run to Super Bowl 60.
“When you got a group of guys behind a QB, and he wants to stay, I think you should try to make it work,” Jones said. That’s not just a throwaway line - it’s a pointed comment that speaks to the chemistry and belief this Vikings roster had in Darnold. And it raises a bigger question: Did Minnesota let a good thing slip away too soon?
The Vikings finished the 2025 season at 9-8, a respectable record that included a late-season push, but it wasn’t enough to punch a ticket to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Darnold is preparing for the biggest game of his career, helping lead the Seahawks to the sport’s biggest stage. That contrast hasn’t gone unnoticed by players like Jones.
Individually, Jones didn’t have the kind of season fans are used to seeing from him. He rushed for just 548 yards over 12 games - his lowest output since his rookie campaign back in 2017 - and found the end zone only twice, tying a career low. But despite the dip in production, Jones still believes the Vikings had the roster to make a serious run in 2025 - if only the quarterback situation had played out differently.
“Last year, we only lost to two teams, the Rams and two to the Lions,” Jones noted. “I felt like we had everything we needed (last year), but we are not GMs. That’s outside of us.”
That last line is telling. It’s a subtle reminder that players, no matter how experienced or respected, don’t make the roster decisions - even when they feel those decisions directly impact their chances of winning.
And while Jefferson is rallying behind McCarthy, Jones seems to be looking elsewhere - possibly toward another veteran signal-caller with a Hall of Fame résumé. On the Nightcap Podcast, he floated the idea of Aaron Rodgers joining the Vikings in 2026.
“I think (Aaron Rodgers has) a lot of ball left,” Jones said. “You see him out there.
He looks like he’s having fun. He’s a competitor.
I think he comes back. I think he’s got a lot left.
You see, at the end of one of the games, he threw a Hail Mary, just flicked his wrist. Seventy (yards).
You can’t come out and coach that.”
When asked whether he’d prefer to see Rodgers in Pittsburgh or Minnesota, Jones didn’t hesitate: “I like him in Minnesota.”
That’s a bold statement - not just because of Rodgers’ history with the Packers, but because it signals a desire for immediate, proven leadership under center. Jones clearly isn’t sold on waiting for McCarthy to develop. He wants a quarterback who can win right now.
So where does that leave the Vikings? In a pivotal offseason, with a young quarterback trying to earn the trust of a veteran locker room, and a front office that’s already made one high-profile QB decision that some players are still questioning.
This is more than just a debate about who should be under center. It’s about identity, direction, and urgency. And as the Vikings look ahead to 2026, they’ll need to decide whether to double down on their future - or bring in someone who can win in the present.