Vikings committed to J.J. McCarthy as starting QB after considering Aaron Rodgers, AP source says

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have committed to moving forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback this season after deciding not to offer Aaron Rodgers a contract, a person with knowledge of the decision said Wednesday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Vikings were not commenting publicly on their plans.

Rodgers, the four-time NFL MVP, was released last week by the New York Jets. With Pro Bowl pick Sam Darnold having departed in free agency for the Seattle Seahawks after his breakout season, the Vikings prepared to turn their offense over to McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft whose rookie year was spent rehabilitating from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Trade inquiries from other teams for McCarthy were rejected, the person said.

Rodgers was widely reported to be interested in joining his former rival from his time with the Green Bay Packers, and Vikings leaders took their time to consider the bold move of bringing in a 41-year-old player whose ability, accomplishments and personality have the potential to alter a locker room dynamic that by all accounts contributed to Minnesota's 14-win finish last season.

The Vikings also have been able to spend big on free agency this month because of the flexibility afforded by a quarterback on a rookie contract, primarily bolstering their defensive and offensive lines. They still need another veteran to help support McCarthy and capably fill in if he were injured again, however, for the bridge role they originally envisioned for Darnold.

The Vikings wanted former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones back, but he signed with the Indianapolis Colts for a stronger opportunity to win the starting job. Minnesota's primary backup for the previous three seasons, Nick Mullens, signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The only other quarterback currently on the roster is Brett Rypien, who has four career starts in six years in the league.

The most proven available quarterbacks on the market are currently Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill, though the Vikings could work out a trade for one or find someone else available later in the offseason once teams adjust their rosters after the draft, or even during training camp once health and performance more clearly dictate depth charts around the league.

They could always revisit the Rodgers option, too, particularly if McCarthy were to experience a setback in the spring or summer. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the most obvious contender with a quarterback opening after Russell Wilson became a free agent and Justin Fields left for the Jets, but if Rodgers is in no rush to decide whether to play a 21st NFL season they might well choose certainty over waiting and sign someone else.

As for the Vikings, they've expressed nothing but confidence in McCarthy and his health since last season ended.

“You want to be able to go out there and play free and let his talent take over, so all these steps, all the learning he’s done this past year is going to allow him to be able to do that,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said last month at the NFL scouting combine. “We’re excited about the makeup of him. He’s been everything we want him to be, and we’re excited about his future.”

The Vikings added some depth on Wednesday to the wide receiver group that McCarthy will be throwing to, agreeing to terms with free agent Rondale Moore. The 2021 second-round draft pick had 135 catches for 1,201 yards and rushed for 249 yards over three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He was traded to the Atlanta Falcons last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury in training camp.

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FILE - New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks out over the line of scrimmage during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Oct. 6, 2024 in London. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano, File)

FILE - Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy stands before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Oct. 24, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)

At least two people were killed in a drone attack in Russia’s southwestern Saratov region and parts of Ukraine went without power following targeted assaults on energy infrastructure, local authorities said Saturday, as U.S.-led peace talks on ending the war press on.

The drone attack damaged a residential building and several windows were also blown out at a kindergarten and clinic, said Saratov regional Gov. Roman Busargin.

Russia’s defense ministry said it had shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

In Ukraine, Russia launched overnight drone and missile strikes on five Ukrainian regions, targeting energy and port infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had sent over 450 drones and 30 missiles into Ukraine overnight.

"Thousands of families are now left without electricity after strikes last night in Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson and Chernihiv regions," he wrote on Telegram.

An attack on the Black Sea city of Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the port, Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.

Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing” the cold.

The latest round of attacks came after Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said Friday that Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine. This underscores Moscow’s ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war. Ukraine is likely to reject such a stance as U.S.-led negotiations drag on.

Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine’s forces have withdrawn from the front line, Ushakov said in comments published in Russian business daily Kommersant.

Meanwhile, Germany is set to host Zelenskyy on Monday for talks as peace efforts gain momentum and European leaders seek to steer negotiations.

For months, American negotiators have tried to navigate the demands of each side as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war while growing increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into a major obstacle over who keeps Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russian forces.

In this grab from a video provided by the Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine on Friday, Dec 12, 2025, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy records a video at the road entering of Kupiansk, Ukraine. (Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine via AP)