As with every NFC North team who isn’t the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings have been at odds with Aaron Rodgers for many years. Rodgers, of course, was the superstar quarterback for the Packers for a long run, so every NFC North team would love to beat him with his new team.

This season, after playing musical chairs, Rodgers is with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, for quite a while, there was lots of talk out there about Rodgers ending up with a handful of other NFL teams, including the Vikings. For Minnesota, the reason has to do with this being the first year that the Vikings will depend on J.J. McCarthy serving as head quarterback. McCarthy was out for his full rookie season with an injury, so this is the first time he’ll take a snap in the NFL. That’s a bit troubling for the Vikings, so having someone like Rodgers in the fold would have provided some veteran help.

So, how close were the Vikings to actually signing Rodgers to a deal? One insider is answering that question.