Rumored early as a Daniel Jones suitor, the Vikings are indeed making the move. The six-year Giants starter is set to land in Minnesota, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.
Ten-plus teams were connected to Jones, though money was not believed to be a factor. His first rebound spot will emerge in the Twin Cities, where he will step in as Sam Darnold‘s backup. Jones is expected to sign for the prorated veteran minimum, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. That amount will provide a small offset for the Giants, who are eating eight figures in 2024 guarantees from their release and Jones then clearing waivers.
Although Jones will be positioned to back up Darnold, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Cameron Wolfe note this will first be a practice squad agreement. The Vikings would have the option to elevate Jones three times, but given his experience, it would surprise if the former Eli Manning successor is on Minnesota’s taxi squad for too long. That $375K number from the Vikings will cover Jones once he is on the active roster, though veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson indicates the sides are still finalizing compensation — perhaps a bump from a standard practice squad salary for the near term.
This contract’s active-roster salary will indeed be just $375K, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who confirms this is the expected one-year agreement. Jones could still technically bolt Minnesota’s practice squad if another opportunity — via an injury — opens up in the near future. Teams attempted to poach Joe Flacco from Cleveland’s P-squad last year, but with plenty of interest coming in for Jones already, it would surprise if he left the team he carefully selected in order to learn a new playbook elsewhere.
Jones, 27, enjoyed his finest hour as a pro at U.S. Bank Stadium, piloting the Giants to a wild-card upset to eliminate a 13-4 Vikings team in Kevin O’Connell‘s first season. O’Connell, however, has shown an ability to coax quality play from quarterbacks. Darnold’s bounce-back season has most recently revealed this, and Schultz adds Jones wanted to end up in a QB-friendly system with a coaching staff capable of generating the best from passers.
While Baker Mayfield ended up in Sean McVay‘s QB-friendly system via waiver claim, Jones having $13.81MM in remaining 2024 salary made that route a non-starter for teams. This situation resembles Mayfield’s in terms of a fit, with Jones likely hoping he can use a Vikings stay as a springboard to a 2025 starter opportunity. Contractually, this reminds of Russell Wilson‘s Steelers signing. Wilson’s Denver deal covered him, and after he visited the Giants, the 13th-year veteran landed in Pittsburgh for the veteran minimum.
Jones, whose comeback from ACL surgery began with a Vikings matchup in Week 1, will join a Minnesota team that has two backup QBs on its active roster. Nick Mullens is Darnold’s backup, while late-summer addition Brett Rypien sits as the team’s emergency option. It looks like Rypien’s roster spot will be threatened by the Wednesday agreement.
The Vikings joined nearly a dozen teams in being connected to Jones. The Ravens, Lions, Dolphins, 49ers and Raiders were among the closely tied teams. Jones was believed to have preferred a contending team, and despite the Raiders losing Gardner Minshew on Sunday (thus opening a potential starting role), the free agent was believed to have ruled out Las Vegas. Dan Campbell said Tuesday (via DetroitFootball.net’s Justin Rogers) the Lions had not engaged in serious internal discussions on the newly available QB, praising Hendon Hooker‘s development behind Jared Goff. While some in the league viewed the 49ers as a viable Jones destination, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, he will instead join a 9-2 Vikings team on its way to a second playoff berth under O’Connell.
The Giants benched Jones after he was unable to position this year’s team among the NFC’s contender contingent. For the season, Jones ranks 28th in QBR (Darnold is 14th) and threw eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions in 10 starts. Jones also averaged only 6.1 yards per attempt — 33rd this season — and has never ended a season north of 7.0. The Giants still gave the scrutinized starter six seasons to prove himself, representing a much longer runway than Jones’ performance warranted. Big Blue has turned to Tommy DeVito, though it would not surprise to see UFA addition Drew Lock see time as well. Jones now will get to work developing in O’Connell’s offense.
Both Jones and Darnold are due for free agency in 2025, still clearing the runway for J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota’s first-round pick has undergone a second surgery on his injured meniscus but remains on schedule to be ready for the 2025 season. The Vikings are fine with Darnold pricing himself out of town next year, Graziano adds, as it will mean a successful season for the team. Jones could also provide potential cover and a McCarthy insurance option beyond 2024, though it would stand to reason the former No. 6 overall pick’s primary aim will be to land somewhere with a chance to start next year.
O’Connell saw his 2022 team’s defense struggle to contain Jones twice. The then-fourth-year quarterback played well in a narrow loss to the Vikings in Week 16 that season then return to Minneapolis to deliver a versatile effort to propel the Giants to the divisional round. In that first-round playoff tilt, Jones was 24 of 35 for 301 yards through the air — despite the Giants not having much of note in terms of pass-catching help at the time — and offered a 17-carry, 78-yard rushing performance. That keyed a 31-24 upset win, one that brought long-term repercussions for the Giants.
Prioritizing Jones over Saquon Barkley due to positional value, GM Joe Schoen authorized a four-year, $160MM deal that included $81MM guaranteed at signing. The latter figure will be paid out this year, but the Giants will eat $22.2MM in 2025 dead money due to prorated signing bonus money. Jones did not remotely justify the contract on the field, playing poorly — albeit behind an injury-riddled offensive line — before suffering an ACL tear last season and not rebounding at the level the Giants hoped this year. As the Giants’ effort to land Drake Maye as a Jones replacement failed, Barkley has become an MVP candidate with Philadelphia.
Darnold and Jones will be two of the top free agent QBs available come March, though the Vikings will now hold exclusive negotiating rights with both until the legal tampering period begins March 10. Should Darnold suffer an injury or see his play decline significantly, the Vikings now would have Jones to deploy rather than Mullens, who was among the three QBs to make a Minnesota start last year after Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear.
As Jones hopes a stay in a strong offensive system can boost his long-term value, the Vikings have a much better QB2 option as they assemble their pieces for a potential playoff run this season.
If the HC can fix both Darnold and Dan, he should be coach of the year.
Vikings are hogging all the draft busts
Darnold had the pedigree coming out of college, Jones did not
By “pedigree” you mean went to a higher profile school.
Really surprised 49ers didn’t take a chance on him esp given what we saw from Allen last week
Definitely think 49ers missed a golden opportunity to improve the qb situation behind Purdy in the event Purdy misses more time
I’m sure the 49ers were interested but the Vikings make for a more attractive landing spot for Jones. The 49ers might not even make the playoffs.
NFC west currently sits at
6-5 sea
6-5 arz
5-6 rams
5-6 49ers
That division is wide open. Could be one of those years it comes down to final weeks of the season even last week of the season.
Look at the remaining schedule and you will know why 9ers are likely not making it. They play Bills & Lions. A surging Fins team who may be in wild card.
They go 3-3 they won’t make it regardless of beating the division, if they lose any division games they are for sure done.
The ancient one forgets that Miami can’t beat teams that have a winning record.
9ers won’t have a winning record.
Currently 5-6
Bills makes them 5-7
Bears honestly can go either way they are bound to win. 9ers struggle against mobile QBs.
Even if they win that and the Rams they won’t have a winning record.
Wide open and crappy. 5-6 or 8-2 genius especially with a coach who gets the most out of any QB he has.
So he’d rather get bounced from the playoffs as a back up like Minnesota does every year instead of having a chance to play under a qb friendly system rebuild his stock like baker mayfield did in LA and Darnold did in SF?
Well, nobody accused Jones or you of being intelligent.
You need a bigger shirt.
Makes sense on Jones’s end. Playoff contender, strong supporting cast, an organization known for treating players well, and going from the quarterback shouter to the quarterback whisperer.
It will be interesting to see if Jones can follow in the footsteps of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Geno Smith. Never underestimate the ability of a dysfunctional franchise (Giants, Jets, Browns) to ruin a young QB.
Everyone thinks Daniels was the main problem and can’t bounce back. People don’t know sports
I simply don’t think he can throw a consistent enough ball to be a good QB in this league.
Daniel Jones *was* the main problem. Certainly not the only problem but definitely the main one. If you watch Giants games, you would know this. Holds on to the ball too long, doesn’t set protections well, poor pocket awareness, locks into his first read, can’t throw the deep ball. On the positive side, he’s relatively accurate, tough, can run the ball. Overall, he’s just not a good QB. “People don’t know sports” if they think otherwise.
Can he bounce back? Sure. But he’ll likely never be more than a back-up/journeyman akin to someone like Jacoby Brissett.
Not a giants fan so I haven’t seen Jones play a lot but the few games I have seen him play it always seemed like his biggest issue was not trusting his receivers to be open coming out of their breaks in the routes. Basically looked like he was waiting to see and make sure they’d be open before pulling the trigger to throw. NFL defenses are too fast and close those gaps too quick to have consistent, reliable success doing that.
Name another QB the Giants “ruined”. Maybe Eli’s last few years??
Jones is not a good QB. That’s it, they gave him 6 years to figure it out, he couldn’t. He was decent one year and it was due to their ability to hide him and minimize his throws. After that year they opened it up with him and he’s been awful.
Jones was not a good QB, but there are other reasons he was bad. Bad line and lack of playmakers around him. By way of example, look at Barkley’s stats with the Eagles this year versus the last few with the Giants. Last year Barkley averaged 3.9 yards per carry. This season it’s 6.2.
Add Jags, AZ, Chargers, Raiders, Bengals (still can’t comprehend ‘Get OL help for Joe!’), Bears & Saints to the dysfunctional franchise list.
Arizona Cardinals, one game off the NFC West lead as it stands?
Los Angeles Chargers, in the AFC playoff places on Thanksgiving Day?
This ain’t college football where you don’t get respect unless you run it up against cupcakes.
Arty, I wouldn’t classify the Chargers, Bengals, Bears or Saints as “dysfunctional” franchises. There is a difference between struggling on the field and having chaotic leadership in decision making positions. With all of those teams, you can see the plan, it just hasn’t worked.
The Chargers are transitioning into the Harbaugh era.
The Bengals are trying to figure out the cap around Joe and Chase.
The Bears believe in Williams (which I don’t), but you can see what they’re trying to do.
The Saints have talent, and they’re 3-0 after making a coaching change.
I’m not even sure I’d put Arizona and Jacksonville on that list, but I’ll give you an argument could be made. It takes a special type of ineptitude to join the ranks of Cleveland, Las Vegas and the Jets, though.
From google: The Cardinals have recorded the most losses by a franchise in NFL history with 803 regular season losses as of 2023. The team’s all-time win–loss record (including regular season and playoff games) at the conclusion of the 2023 season was 596–826–41 ( 588–816–41 in the regular season, 7–10 in the playoffs).
From google: As of the end of the 2023 season, the Los Angeles Chargers’ overall record is 483 wins, 489 losses, and 11 ties in the regular season, and 12 wins and 19 losses in the postseason.
I am running a few minutes late; my previous meeting is running over.
Both are sub 500 teams. Its a fact.
I LOVE FACTS!
Didn’t see that coming. Best scenario for him right now. When/if he gets opportunity to play he needs to shine.
They have more weapons (JJ, Addison, TJ, & Jones) than he ever had in NYG. They have a good enough oline too.
He will only play do to injury, they won’t bench Darnold for a guy with no knowledge of playbook. This is also a move for next year, JJ is the starter but if he struggles or has knee issue Jones will be back. They know Darnold will likely be gone because JJ.
Did not see that coming.
It wasn’t my first guess, either, but it’s not shocking. McConnell has quietly been impeccable with any QB that he’s worked with, and more importantly, the Vikes were probably the best team record-wise to make a pitch. Jones is being paid by New York anyway, so money’s not a factor.
O’Connell not McConnell
Yeah, I want to blame autocorrect there, but I’ll take that one.
O’Connell is and true its a solid spot for him
Smart on Jones – collect those playoff game checks $$$
Jones is 2-8 against NFC North opponents with a 77.8 passer rating. The Lions, Packers and Bears approve of this signing 🙂
If things stay going well, finger crossed, he never sees the field and stays on the practice squad. It’s a cheap pick up and we get a pick if he leaves in the off-season. To me, that’s the only silver lining.
Smart agent.
He knows Jones can go there and get paid relatively big bucks to back up McCarthy, who is on a rookie deal, for the next few years.
And might never have to prove anything to get/keep that job.
If Darnold hits free agency (likely outcome) and McCarthy is not ready to play after the injury (rookie with cobwebs), he could be their bridge QB
I believe that’s precisely the thought process on both sides.
Minnesota likely already knows Darnold has played well enough to price himself out of a backup job for them. He’ll get a good offer to start somewhere. I’m sure the Vikings want McCarthy to start, too, when healthy.
This gives Jones an extended opportunity to work within the Vikings system and learn the playbook. Minnesota also gets an opportunity to closely evaluate him as a backup, and a bridge starter if McCarthy isn’t ready.
For Jones, being able to work with that coaching and throw to Justin Jefferson is a pretty good opportunity to rebuild your value. He’ll never be elite, but he has enough tools to have a career as a journeyman starter. Plenty of guys have made plenty of money that way.
I wouldn’t be so sure McCarthy slides right into the starters job whether or not Darnold leaves…..
Many of us would think that is the plan…..Darnold pretty much stunk before coming to the Vikings, maybe they catch lightning in a bottle twice…..