With NFL free agency well underway, the football world remains in suspense over Aaron Rodgers’ next move. The 41-year-old quarterback has been linked to the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Minnesota Vikings, but as of now, there’s no clear indication of where—or if—he’ll play next season.
While many expect Rodgers to hold out for one last big contract, ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth made a wild suggestion on Monday: if Rodgers signs with the Vikings, he should play for free—or at least for the league minimum.
Foxworth’s Unconventional Take on Rodgers’ Future
During an episode of his podcast, Foxworth explained his rationale behind the stunning suggestion, arguing that Rodgers should prioritize repairing his legacy over securing another lucrative deal.
“If I am Aaron Rodgers, I would go play for the Vikings for free. League minimum, sign me up.”
He went on to outline a hypothetical strategy for how Rodgers should pitch himself to the team, suggesting the quarterback make a humble, public statement about how his injury-plagued 2023 season forced him to reflect on his career.
“First, I would publicly make some big statement about how humbled I was by the experience last year… Call the coach and tell him? I feel like you need to sell yourself to the team. Maybe you don’t do it publicly, maybe you do it privately.”
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Rodgers’ Legacy Over Money?
Foxworth acknowledged that suggesting Rodgers play for free is easier said than done, especially considering the quarterback could still command a significant contract if he chooses to continue playing. However, he believes the move could be far more valuable than money when it comes to rewriting Rodgers’ career narrative.
“The reason why I come to this opinion is, and it’s easy for me to say that he don’t need any more money. Easy for me to say. Maybe he does want some more money. I’m not going to begrudge anybody for wanting more money, and he can probably get more money. But, I think what’s more valuable to him right now and what should be, in my mind, is rewriting the end of his career.”
Foxworth pointed out that Rodgers’ current career trajectory is not ideal, given how disastrous his first year with the New York Jets turned out.
“Because the end of his career is going to be the lasting taste we have in our mouth. Because it was such an enormous, sloppy, embarrassing mess. Most quarterbacks, [at] the end of their career, are playing poorly. … But for him, he ended it in such a publicly bad way that I think it would really benefit him to go somewhere else and kind of makeover his image. There’s risk there, but I think it’s the best situation to do it.”
Would Rodgers Actually Consider It?
While Foxworth’s take is certainly unique, the idea of Rodgers playing without a major payday is highly unlikely. Given his past contract negotiations and history of securing top-dollar deals, it seems far more probable that he’ll look for one last big paycheck before retirement—assuming he doesn’t choose to walk away entirely and spend his days relaxing on a beach instead.
However, if Rodgers truly cares more about his legacy than his bank account, Foxworth’s idea isn’t completely far-fetched. The Vikings desperately need a quarterback, and Rodgers—who once tormented Minnesota as a member of the Packers—would have a golden opportunity to turn the tables and become a hero in the Twin Cities.
While the “play for free” scenario seems highly improbable, the idea of Rodgers choosing Minnesota as his next destination could still have merit. Whether he’s willing to sacrifice a massive contract to control how his story ends remains to be seen.