HEADLINES

Seahawks Lower Asking Price On D.K. Metcalf Trade

March 9th, 2025 at 3:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks are already on track to have a very different offense in 2025. A trade agreement involving quarterback Geno Smith has been worked out, while the team has moved forward with the expected transaction of releasing wideout Tyler Lockett.

Further changes could be in store if D.K. Metcalf‘s trade request winds up being honored. The two-time Pro Bowler has one year left on his current pact, but he is seeking a new one averaging roughly $30MM per year. Teams will be hesitant to meet that asking price, especially if Seattle drives a hard bargain with respect to trade compensation. The team’s stance on that front appears to be softening, however.

The Seahawks were recently connected to a price of a first- and third-round pick in a Metcalf trade, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports they have lowered their ask. Seattle is now willing to entertain offers built around a second-round selection, she adds. That will only come into play, of course, if an interested team is prepared to authorize a major raise for the 27-year-old in addition to parting with notable draft capital.

Metcalf – who was discussed a trade chip between the Seahawks and Raiders before the Smith swap was agreed to – is known to be eyeing a warm weather climate and a stable quarterback situation. Scheme fit will also be a consideration for interested teams, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit notes. She adds that at least one suitor is not prepared to pay more than a third-round pick in addition to making Metcalf one of the league’s highest-paid receivers.

Compensation could serve as a counterbalance to Metcalf’s preference regarding his destination, per Sports Illustratred’s Albert Breer. Teams which cannot offer a warm environment may need to offer more on an extension to swing a deal. Interestingly, Breer adds Metcalf was believed to be interested in joining the Texans before they swung an intra-divisional trade for Christian Kirk. That should keep Houston out of the market for an expensive addition as the new league year takes shape (especially if Stefon Diggs winds up being re-signed).

Metcalf has averaged over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns per season during his career, and he has played at least 15 games every year since entering the league in 2019. The Ole Miss product could find himself on the move soon amidst high expectations with a new extension in hand, especially if the Seahawks stick to their desire of working out a trade before April’s draft.

Lions To Release Za’Darius Smith

March 9th, 2025 at 2:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Marcus Davenport will remain in place with the Lions for next season, but the same will not be true for Za’Darius Smith. The latter will be released, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Smith began the 2024 season with the Browns, having served as a full-time starter with the team the year before. Once Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken leg, however, adding an edge rusher became a top priority with the Lions. Smith was quickly named as the top target in Detroit’s pursuit of a stopgap, and a deal was worked out in November.

The three-time Pro Bowler was a key figure upon for the Lions upon arrival, logging a 60% snap share and recording four sacks. Hutchinson will be back for the start of next season, however, and Davenport took a one-year pact to stay in the Motor City. This move will free up $5.73MM in cap space for the Lions while not generating any dead money charges. Smith, 32, was due a $510K option bonus in September, but that will no longer be the case.

After playing out his rookie contract with the Ravens, Smith spent a total of four seasons with the Packers and Vikings. His Browns tenure was followed by a return to the NFC North, and after registering nine total sacks last season it will be interesting to see how strong of a market he has. Several veteran edge rushers have been let go recently, on the other hand, and the likes of Joey Bosa and Harold Landry are also in need of a new team this spring.

Once this move is processed, the Lions will have nearly $57MM in cap space. That will leave plenty of funds available for outside additions or moves aimed at retaining more members of a team which posted the NFC’s best regular season record in 2024. Smith played a role in that success last year, but that will not be the case in 2025.

Chiefs To Re-Sign LB Nick Bolton

March 9th, 2025 at 1:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

The top remaining linebacker in the 2025 free agent class will not reach the market. Nick Bolton has a new Chiefs agreement in place.

This will be a three-year, $45MM pact, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The deal includes $30MM guaranteed and ensures Bolton will remain a focal point on Kansas City’s defense for the foreseeable future. One major piece of offseason business has been taken care of before the start of the new league year.

Bolton checked in at No. 10 on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agent List, finding himself as the top linebacker even when Zack Baun was on track to test the market. The latter re-signed with the Eagles after his stellar Philadelphia debut, and Bolton has now landed a lucrative new contract which will keep him in place. One day before his 25th birthday, he has secured a deal which ranks fourth at the position in average annual value.

A second-round pick in 2021, Bolton has started all but four games in his career. The Missouri product entrenched himself as a productive figure right away, notching 112 tackles as a rookie. Bolton has reached triple digits twice more since then, with his 2023 campaign being limited to eight games. With six pass deflections this past campaign, he demonstrated a playmaking ability against the pass as well as his run-stopping production.

As a result, it appeared as though a departure would be necessary for Bolton to secure a notable payday. Willie Gay left in free agency last offseason (albeit on a one-year deal), and losing Bolton this spring would have dealt another blow to the second level of Kansas City’s defense. Even with Trey Smith being retained via the franchise tag, though, the Chiefs have managed to keep the two-time Super Bowl winner in the fold.

Today’s news further limits the number of inside linebackers who will be available once free agency begins. Baun and Bolton are off the market, while Bobby Wagner (Commanders) and Lavonte David (Buccaneers) have re-upped with their respective teams on one-year deals. That could help the asking price for the remaining members of what is generally viewed as an underwhelming free agent class as the rest of the LB market takes shape.

The Chiefs were among the teams which entered Sunday above the salary cap, and with Joe Thuney set to be traded at the start of the new league year multiple questions loom along the offensive line. Kansas City’s attention will no doubt increasingly turn in that direction now that Bolton’s future has been worked out.

Seahawks, DT Jarran Reed Agree To Deal

March 9th, 2025 at 1:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jarran Reed was set to reach free agency in the coming days, but that will no longer be the case. The veteran defensive tackle has a new deal in place with the Seahawks.

Team and player have agreed to a three-year contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pact has a maximum value of $25MM. Reed has been with Seattle (the second time around) for the past two seasons, and his tenure there will continue as a result of this deal. Providing further details, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network adds Reed will collect $8MM in 2025, noting the base value of the deal is $22MM.

The 32-year-old began his career with the Seahawks, playing there from 2016-20. His Seattle release paved the way for a pair of one-year tenures with the Chiefs and Packers before a reunion took place. Reed took a two-year, $9MM pact to return to the Emerald City in 2023, and his performances during his second tenure with the franchise has earned him an even larger commitment.

A seven-sack season in 2023 showcased Reed’s continued ability to make an impact against the pass, although his production and playing time saw a drop this past season. The former second-rounder handled a 72% snap share upon returning to Seattle, but that figure fell to 60% in 2024. Reed still managed 4.5 sacks, 20 pressures and 45 tackles, though, and he will be counted on to remain a key contributor along the defensive front moving forward.

Seattle used a first-round pick on Byron Murphy during last year’s draft, and The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar notes the team hopes to increase his workload in 2025 (subscription required). Murphy logged a 49% snap share as a rookie, and it would come as no surprise if he were to see a jump in playing time in Year 2. Reed – whom Dugar wrote the Seahawks were interested in retaining – will nevertheless remain a starting presence with his second Seattle tenure being extended.

Seattle entered Sunday with roughly $62.5MM in cap space. This Reed deal will eat into that figure, as will a Sam Darnold contract if the team’s preferred quarterback option can be added. In any case, the Seahawks will still have funds available for other free agent additions this week.

Cardinals Re-Sign OLB Baron Browning

March 9th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals didn’t get to see a ton from outside linebacker Baron Browning after trading for him last year. Regardless, they brought him in for a reason and, with that in mind, they will reportedly bring him back in 2025, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The new contract is a two-year, $15MM deal that can be worth up to $19MM. The team has since announced the news.

Howard Balzer of CardsWire commented on an interesting note that the early reports of the deal fail to mention any guaranteed money. While the numbers will eventually come out, the guaranteed numbers may not be super favorable for Browning as he still has plenty to prove after a relatively down 2024 season.

Browning originally came to the NFL as a third-round pick out of Ohio State. The former five-star recruit earned plenty of starts over his first three seasons, logging 26 starts in 38 appearances. As a rookie, the Broncos played Browning exclusively as an off-ball linebacker. He was fairly average in the position, totaling 58 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit.

A year later, Denver moved Browning to an edge rushing role. With eight starts in 14 games at his new position, Browning tallied five sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits. In his second year at the new spot, Browning started nine of 10 game appearances, logging 4.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits. Despite slightly lesser stats, albeit in four fewer games, Browning’s analytical evaluation improved greatly in that second year as a pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Despite the early promise Browning showed, Denver seemed to move on from Browning last year in favor of players like Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, and Dondrea Tillman. Browning had reportedly been seeking a role as a starter that he wasn’t getting in Denver, and the Broncos were not likely to re-sign him. They opted, instead, to trade Browning midseason to the Arizona in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

The Cardinals followed Denver’s lead, keeping Browning as an edge rusher. Playing in the rotation, the fourth-year player logged two sacks, four tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in eight games with Arizona. The team was intrigued by what he brought to the table and expressed interest in bringing him back. They’ve now done so, and they’ll see what he has to offer over the next two seasons.

Bills To Release DE Von Miller

March 9th, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Ely Allen

Shortly after securing their future at the pass rushing position, the Bills are moving on from a veteran at the same position. According to a joint report from NFL Network reporters Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Buffalo is releasing pass rusher Von Miller. It’s a cost-cutting move as the Bills take advantage of a potential out built into the 35-year-old’s contract.

Miller was three years into a six-year, $120MM extension, but a potential out was built in after the third year of the deal. At this point in the contract, Miller had no remaining guarantees, and the Bills are able to cut him with $15.42MM of dead money and $8.4MM in cap savings. If the team were to have designated him as a post-June 1 release, they could’ve lessened the dead money to $6.37MM, increasing the cap savings to $17.44MM, but Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports that this is just a regular, pre-June 1 release.

Though, Miller is set to turn 36 before the next regular season starts, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that Miller “plans to play” in 2025 for his 15th year of NFL football. While multiple reports have claimed that both Buffalo and Miller are open to a reunion on a cheaper deal, Miller will have the option to explore opportunities with other contending teams now that he has been released. Miller would be in pursuit of his third Super Bowl victory.

Miller is one of the most accomplished pass rushers in NFL history. Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Miller ranks 16th all-time with 129.5. Just eight more sacks would put him in the top 10. With three teams, he’s been a three-time first-team All-Pro, a four-time second-team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler. He also won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 as the No. 2 overall pick out of Texas A&M and was a Super Bowl MVP.

It’s been a long time since many of those accolades occurred, though. In fact, they all came during his 11-year tenure in Denver. After sitting out the entire 2020 season with injury, Miller was traded midseason to the Rams, with whom he won his second Super Bowl. He hasn’t reached double-digit sacks since 2018, and he only has six total over the past two years in Buffalo, with all six coming this past season.

With that six-sack season, he was able to display that he still has the talent to be a situational pass rusher in the NFL, but he’ll likely need to lower his expectations on compensation. Miller was due to earn $17.5MM in cash this season with Buffalo, $20MM in 2026, and $30MM in 2027. With the numbers he’s put up in recent years, combined with his age and injury history, wherever Miller goes, he won’t be sniffing that kind of money.

If he truly wants to land with a contender, there are certainly options. In the AFC, the Chiefs are perennial title favorites. He could always return to Buffalo on a more favorable deal or head to the AFC North and visit the Ravens or Bengals. In the NFC, the Eagles and Lions have been powers in the last few years, and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post pointed out an intriguing connection with the Commanders. Washington’s general manager, Adam Peters, was serving as a national scout in Denver when the Broncos drafted Miller.

While he may not fetch a stellar price, Miller should have plenty of options to return to the field in 2025. His potential as a pass rusher should be enough, but the expertise he brings to the game can help mold younger, developing pass rushers, as well. While the pass rushing success of young players in Buffalo like Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa can’t be fully attributed to Miller, his presence surely didn’t hurt.

Miller joins a crowded free agent position group, though. Teams looking to grab an impact pass rusher will likely go after the likes of Josh Sweat, Khalil Mack, Malcolm Koonce, Chase Young, Haason Reddick, DeMarcus Lawrence, and others before coming to him.

QB Sam Darnold Seeking Multiyear Deal

March 9th, 2025 at 8:49am CST by Ely Allen

Recent reporting on the pending free agency of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has claimed that he is seeking some modest commitment with a three-year contract, per Diana Russini of The Athletic. A more up-to-date report from senior NFL insider Josina Anderson tells us that Darnold is not limiting his opportunities to three-year deals, instead remaining open to multiple opportunities in hopes of landing any sort of multi-year deal.

The desire for consistent job security is an understandable one for a quarterback who hasn’t been given much of a chance anywhere he’s been. One could argue that the Jets gave Darnold three years after drafting him No. 3 overall in 2018 out of USC, but in reality, after two decent seasons that showed improvement, Darnold was traded away after one bad year.

As a rookie in New York, Darnold didn’t win many games as a starter — rookie quarterbacks rarely do. Still, with a 4-9 record in 13 games played, Darnold threw for 2,865 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while only completing 57.7 percent of his passes. At the time, he was throwing to Robbie Chosen, rookie fourth-round tight end Chris Herndon, Quincy Enunwa, and Jermaine Kearse, while his 26th-ranked run game was buoyed by Isaiah Crowell, Bilal Powell, and Elijah McGuire.

In his sophomore campaign, despite the acquisition of Le’Veon Bell — fresh off a year of not playing football — the Jets’ rushing attack ranked even worse at 31st in the league. An improved receiving corps of Chosen, Jamison Crowder, Demaryius Thomas, and the receiving back, Bell, helped improve Darnold’s individual performance, though. Going 7-6 in 13 games played, Darnold improved his completion percentage to 61.9 while throwing for 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

For Darnold’s third year at the helm, the Jets brought in a new veteran running back in Frank Gore, who did not quite capture the success he had held in San Francisco with New York. Once again, he was throwing to a new group of receivers as Crowder, Breshad Perriman, Braxton Berrios, and Denzel Mims were his new main targets. Darnold regressed a bit with this group, completing only 59.1 percent of his passes for 2,208 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 12 starts, going 2-10 in those games.

The Jets traded Darnold to the Panthers the following year, where he finally had a decent running back, though Christian McCaffrey would only play in seven games that year before Chuba Hubbard ultimately filled in. Darnold also finally had a playmaking receiver in D.J. Moore, but behind him and Chosen, McCaffrey’s seven-game output and third-string running back Ameer Abdullah were the next top receiving performances for the year, so his stats didn’t much improve from the prior year.

The next season, Carolina brought in Baker Mayfield to start, benching Darnold until the final six games of the season. Finally being provided a top-10 rushing attack, though still throwing to a lackluster group, Darnold led the Panthers to a 4-2 record in those six starts, throwing seven touchdowns to only three interceptions and showing just a hint of what he could do with a decent supporting group.

After a year as strictly a backup in San Francisco, Darnold arrived in Minnesota, where he unceremoniously earned the starting job thanks to an injury to rookie first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. Given a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in his career and by far the best group of receivers he ever worked with, led by superstar Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and tight end T.J. Hockenson, Darnold shined. With this elite group, Darnold delivered career highs in completion percentage (66.2), passing yard (4,319), and touchdowns (35) while only throwing 12 interceptions.

Darnold showed the league that he was not a bust of a No. 3 overall pick. He showed the NFL that when a team invested in putting an offense around him with good weapons, he was a Pro Bowler capable of winning 14 games and falling just a game short of the No. 1 seed in the NFC. It makes sense, then, that, wherever he goes next, be it Seattle, Tennessee, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, or maybe even New York again, the 27-year-old will want more than a year and, ideally, enough time for a team to put some major supporting pieces around him.

Justin Fields Likely To Test Market; Steelers Looking Into Outside QB Addition

March 8th, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers have been talking to both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson for weeks, but no signing has taken place. It can naturally be assumed complications have interfered with the team’s rumored plan to retain Fields. Recent reports seem to indicate that is the case.

We heard Friday that Fields has a burgeoning market, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini points to the young QB reaching free agency to hear offers from other clubs. The Jets will be one of the teams in pursuit, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds. A Jets-Fields connection emerged recently, and with two options on this market not in play for Gang Green (Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers, the latter of whom about to be a Jets release), Fields would make sense — as a bridge if nothing else.

Other teams have interest in Fields, too, Rapoport adds. This will drive up the Steeler backup’s price and test the AFC North team’s resolve. As the Steelers have been primarily connected to only Fields and Wilson, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports the team has not dismissed pursuing an outside free agent to solve its QB issue.

The team has enjoyed plenty of time to both evaluate their in-house options and conduct negotiations, even though it does not talk extensions in-season. Both passers have clashed with the coaching staff, though. Fields was understandably upset when Mike Tomlin overruled player and staffer support to keep him as a starter, but the veteran HC did not turn back to Fields after making the call to bench him for Wilson once the latter recovered from his calf injury. The Steelers’ Wilson path started well but ended badly, with the team losing its final five games.

Wilson also clashed with OC Arthur Smith, with Dulac adding the two disagreed about the state of the offense. Wilson being upset about an offense’s direction would continue a refrain. He had disagreed with Pete Carroll‘s plan in Seattle, at the height of the “Let Russ cook” movement, and received tremendous input into the direction of the Denver offense during Nathaniel Hackett‘s doomed HC stay. Sean Payton and Wilson did not prove a fit, as a messy divorce commenced. Wilson has been expected to leave Pittsburgh, but if Fields is lured away by a strong offer elsewhere, the 36-year-old may need to be a fallback option.

If the Steelers are to look outside for a new QB, they would have options in Darnold, Rodgers, Daniel Jones and perhaps Kirk Cousins. Beyond Darnold, these options would serve as temporary fixes. Rodgers and Cousins, though, would remind of Wilson’s situations, as other teams would be on the hook for the veterans’ salaries. As of now, however, the Falcons are holding firm on Cousins. A release remains a possibility, however.

The Jets not having Rodgers or Darnold as options and sitting behind the Titans, Browns and Giants in the draft would stand to ramp up a Fields push. The former three-year Bears starter could serve as a multiyear option in New York, which as an OC (Tanner Engstrand) who observed Fields closely while on an NFC North staff. Fields going into his age-26 season would appeal to suitors as well. If Darnold is now most likely to be a Seahawk, the Fields domino would be next to fall.

The Steelers have until 11am CT Monday to keep him off the market. As of now, that appears unlikely to happen. Were Fields to remain unsigned by that point, the Steelers could still bring him back. They would just have to bid against other teams to do so.

Ravens To Re-Sign LT Ronnie Stanley

March 8th, 2025 at 11:25pm CST by Ely Allen

It looks like Ronnie Stanley‘s time in Baltimore is not over quite yet. Surprisingly, the Ravens were the first to announce the deal on X. Diana Russini of The Athletic quickly followed to inform us that Stanley is signing a three-year, $60MM extension with $44MM guaranteed at signing. Stanley was the fourth-ranked player on our list of the Top 50 Free Agents in 2025.

Returning Stanley to the fold is huge for the Ravens, as this is not the year to be wanting for a left tackle. In free agency, after Stanley, the top options at left tackle are now Dan Moore, Cam Robinson, and an aging Tyron Smith, who has been reportedly mulling retirement. In the draft, a concern has been raised about needing tackles as many of the graduating tackles in the draft have been seen as better fits for the interior line by many evaluators.

Another reason this is huge for Baltimore is that it helps them to avoid doing a full offseason overhaul of their offensive line for the second year in a row. Last year, the team went to work in the offseason in order to replace both starting guards (John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler) and their starting right tackle Morgan Moses.

They attempted to fill the guard spots with Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees, with their sixth-man of the offensive line Patrick Mekari filling in at right tackle. When Vorhees struggled, they shifted Mekari into the left guard spot and started rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten at right tackle for the rest of the season. Mekari is still currently on track for free agency, but the team has shown how much they value his versatility in the past. Even if he does leave, filling an interior lineman spot will be a much less Herculean task than if they had let Stanley walk.

This isn’t the first time the Ravens have extended Stanley, and they are likely praying that this time goes much smoother. After picking up Stanley’s fifth-year option back in 2019, the team made Stanley the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL following an All-Pro season in which Pro Football Focus graded him the second-best tackle in the league and named him the best pass blocking tackle in the NFL. The five-year, $112.8MM extension came partway through the 2020 season.

Two days later, Stanley was carted off the field with a season-ending ankle injury. The next season, after playing in the season-opener, Stanley was once again placed on injured reserve after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery. He wouldn’t return until Week 5 of the 2022 season, after having missed 29 of the 30 games since he signed his extension. After shaky seasons in 2022 and 2023, Stanley started every game last year, making his first Pro Bowl appearance since that All-Pro season in 2019.

Knowing this injury history and seeing as how Stanley is set to turn 31 before the 2025 season, Baltimore was reportedly hesitant to get to $20MM per year, according to Russini’s colleague Jeff Zrebiec. But seeing the other options, and the likely overpayment that is sure to occur for those secondary options, the Ravens will likely feel pretty good about the price they paid for their tried-and-true blindside blocker, especially as the negotiating period starting Monday was sure to bring in much higher offers. Stanley’s pact will see $44MM paid out over the first two years, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, those other options, namely Moore and Robinson, could both command up to $15MM per year in the open market now. For tackles that PFF (subscription required) graded out as the 42nd- and 53rd-best tackles in the league, respectively, that’s a steep price to pay.

Stanley was reportedly drawing significant interest from the Patriots, Chiefs, and Commanders. With the Ravens keeping Stanley off the open market, New England, Kansas City, and Washington will likely be duking it out for the Moore, Robinson, and perhaps Jaylon Moore, who’s started 12 games for the 49ers in the four years of his rookie deal.

With Stanley putting pen to paper, the Ravens have officially checked off perhaps the biggest task on their to-do list for the offseason. Key free agents like Mekari, fullback Patrick Ricard, and cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Tre’Davious White are set to hit the open market soon, and the team still would like to improve at the cornerback, pass rusher, and interior offensive line positions. With free agency and the draft looming, the Ravens are set up well to make a push next season in an effort to get Lamar Jackson that elusive Super Bowl with his blindside tackle beside him.

Vikings Not Expected To Re-Sign Sam Darnold; Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers On Radar

March 8th, 2025 at 11:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Friday’s Raiders-Seahawks trade has shaken up the quarterback market. As Geno Smith‘s relocation moved the Seahawks into the group of teams needing a quarterback, Sam Darnold immediately became connected to Seattle. That has changed his status with the Vikings.

Although the Vikings came out of the franchise tag deadline with interest in retaining their 2024 starter at a lower rate, that no longer looks to be in play. In the wake of the Smith trade, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports the Vikings are not expected to re-sign Darnold. They are now focused on other options.

As J.J. McCarthy moves closer to the starting role, a Darnold defection will allow the Vikes to focus on a cheaper option. On that note, Daniel Jones remains in play to stay. Jones will not bring nearly the price tag Darnold will, but the Vikings might not be the only team that views the ex-Giant as a player who could conceivably traverse the Smith, Darnold and Baker Mayfield trajectory. A Colts-Jones link emerged earlier this week, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms Indianapolis will be a factor for Jones as they search for a veteran to compete with Anthony Richardson.

In addition to Jones, a much bigger name lurks. As the Giants have been the team primarily linked to Aaron Rodgers, Rapoport adds the Vikings loom as a dark horse for the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Yes, Rodgers continuing to follow Brett Favre‘s late-2000s career path appears realistic. McCarthy is on track to practice in the spring, per Pelissero, but the Vikings remain expected to add a veteran as a stopgap — at the very least. Rodgers having options may dissuade him from a placeholder scenario like this, but it is not like the Giants would call it a day if they signed the 41-year-old QB.

Rodgers’ path to Minnesota would be slightly different than Favre’s, as the latter’s Packers successor spent two seasons with the Jets as opposed to one. A since-outlawed poison-pill provision stipulated the Jets would have needed to send the Packers three first-round picks had they traded Favre to the Vikings — the QB’s first choice back when Rodgers took over in Green Bay. After Favre retirement No. 2, the Jets merely cut Favre and watched as he joined the Vikings months later. He spent two years in Minnesota, with the first season going much better than the second. Rodgers is about to be cut, and Minnesota needs a veteran.

With no prospect on the Giants’ roster just yet, Rodgers could have a chance to be a full-season starter with the Big Apple’s NFC team. Though, the Giants have been closely tied to a trade-up for Cam Ward. Still, that is not a lock to take place. A veteran who joins Big Blue has a clearer path to keeping the job throughout 2025 compared to one who signs with the Vikings, who are close to beginning McCarthy’s time as a first-stringer. That will affect Minnesota’s QB approach.

The Vikings had elevated Jones from their practice squad late last season but did not dress him as Darnold’s backup in their wild-card game. Nick Mullens did so, but Jones — after six seasons of starter work with the Giants — would be in place to become McCarthy’s primary 2025 backup if he re-signs.

As Darnold’s market soared thanks to his bounce-back season in Kevin O’Connell‘s QB-friendly offense, Jones staying has always loomed as a possibility. With Darnold-Seahawks ties quickly emerging after the Raiders’ Smith acquisition, Jones being a much cheaper post-Darnold solution is not too difficult to envision. Will Jones be the Vikings’ preference to Rodgers?

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