- Daniel Jones’ time with the New York Giants came to a close after five-and-a-half seasons as he was released on November 22.
- After clearing waivers, Jones has decided to sign with the Minnesota Vikings for the rest of the season for $375,000.
- Jones will start on the practice squad as the Vikings already have Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien on the roster, and rookie J.J. McCarthy is injured.
Daniel Jones has certainly had an eventful NFL season in 2024. The former first-round pick had a tough campaign with the New York Giants, who would bench Jones, and eventually release him.
However, Jones has found a new home less than a week after getting cut by the Giants. He’ll sign with the Minnesota Vikings to join their practice roster for the rest of the season.
After Rough Time in New York, Jones Heads to the Bench in Minnesota
The decision to bench Jones by the Giants was strange. He has not played well, completing 63.3% of his passes for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. However, the Giants haven’t done well themselves as they have failed to give Jones a decent offensive line. The Giants also made a huge mistake by giving Jones a four-year deal for $160 million, including $92 million in guaranteed money. On November 22, Jones asked to be released, and the Giants granted his wish.
That didn’t leave the Giants enough money to re-sign running back Saquon Barkley, who would move to their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley leads the league in rushing, and is among the top candidates in the NFL MVP odds, as well as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year odds.
Jones has decided to sign with the Minnesota Vikings and will start on the practice squad as the Vikings have Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien on the roster behind starter Sam Darnold. The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan to be the starter this season, but he tore his meniscus in the preseason opener. That gave the job to Darnold, who has led the Vikings to a 9-2 record.
Jones will have a chance to move up ahead of Mullens and Rypien on the quarterback depth chart, but it seems to be a win-win situation for both parties. For Jones, it represents a fresh start on a good team, where he’ll learn good habits. Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell has done an impressive job with Darnold, and Jones can learn from him.
Does This Boost the Vikings’ Super Bowl Chances?
This hasn’t moved the Vikings’ Super Bowl 59 odds, but it gives them insurance if Darnold happens to go down injured. Jones isn’t a great quarterback, but he’s surely better than Mullens or Rypien. The Vikings are also signing Jones for $375,000, which is peanuts to an NFL team.
Jones will be a free agent after this season as well, and Darnold is likely to seek a big payday after the season. The Vikings could re-sign Jones for relatively cheap, and let him compete with the returning McCarthy for the starting job.
At worst, Jones could stay and be the backup to McCarthy, who could need a few weeks to get back up to speed. They signed Darnold for the same reason, and he has flourished under O’Connell. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move for everyone involved.
