NFL News: Vikings confirm why J.J. McCarthy hasn't been named starting quarterback as Aaron Rodgers is still available

Kevin O’Connell explained during an interview with Kay Adams why he hasn’t named J.J. McCarthy the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the rumors surrounding Aaron Rodgers, the head coach admitted that it’s simply way too early for him or for any player on the roster.

“We can’t even line up defensive players from our own team against him yet. So, we really don’t have a need to have anything more than just, you know, development time, learning time, teaching phase for our team. Trust me, JJ is gonna get all of the prerequisite work for us to come out of the spring feeling great about where he’s at and headed into training camp. As those days and weeks click off the calendar here, I’m sure he’ll be in a great position to do a lot of good things for us.”

However, O’Connell’s reluctance to formally name McCarthy as his starter is what has sparked many rumors about the possibility of Rodgers seeking a Super Bowl run with Minnesota.

Who will be QB1 for Vikings?

Although Kevin O’Connell hasn’t said it directly, J.J. McCarthy will be the Vikings’ QB1 heading into training camp, with Sam Howell, who arrived via a trade with Seattle, and Brett Rypien behind him.

The big question is: if McCarthy doesn’t look good in training camp or the preseason, could a last-minute phone call be the reason Aaron Rodgers still hasn’t signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers?

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NFL News: Mike Tomlin confirms why Steelers didn’t choose Shedeur Sanders in first round of 2025 Draft

There’s no doubt the Vikings’ roster is ready to compete for a Super Bowl with names like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. That’s why, for Aaron, it would be his best shot at winning another championship.