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Kevin Seifert, ESPN writer
Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is signing with the Minnesota Vikings, a source told ESPN on Wednesday, a notable move for a team likely facing another quarterback transition in the offseason.
Jones became a free agent on Monday after clearing waivers following a mutual decision to leave New York. Sources had told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jones preferred to sign with a playoff contender, with the Vikings among his possible destinations.
The Vikings will sign Jones to a one-year contract for the remainder of this season for $375,000, a source told Schefter. He will start on the Vikings’ practice squad, leaving the possibility that Jones could sign with another team if another starting quarterback falls in the next three weeks.
Jones is scheduled to become a free agent after this season.
Entering Wednesday, the Vikings had just one quarterback under contract for the 2025 season. That’s rookie JJ McCarthy, who suffered a season-ending meniscus injury in his right knee during his preseason debut and since He then underwent a second surgery to treat swelling he had developed during his rehabilitation. Doctors gave him a biological injection and the Vikings have said their timeline for a 2025 return remains on track.
McCarthy’s injury changed veteran Sam Darnold from a likely bridge option to the Vikings’ starting quarterback this season. He has led the team to a 9-2 record amid a career year, having already surpassed his career record for touchdown passes in a season (21), and could land a sizable free agent contract this offseason. .
In the short term, Jones will likely back up both Darnold and current No. 2 quarterback Nick Mullens. At the very least, Wednesday’s move will give the Vikings an advantage in evaluating whether they would want to pair Jones with McCarthy in 2025. It also places Jones with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, one of the best quarterback tutors in the game. NFL field.
O’Connell has been a fan of Jones since evaluating him during the pre-draft process in 2019, when he was Washington’s offensive coordinator. On Monday, O’Connell smiled twice when asked about Jones, but declined to reveal his level of interest.
“I will say a lot of respect for Daniel Jones as a player and as a person,” O’Connell said. “I met him through the draft process years ago. I’m sure that now that he’s a free agent and there’s probably a lot of interest in him around the league, Daniel is going to make the best decision for him and his career moving forward, and I’m sure he’s working through that process right now… I can only say that I’ve been a big fan of Daniel for a long time, and I hope that wherever his next step takes him, it’s a good opportunity for him.”
One of the best games of Jones’ career came in a wild-card playoff matchup against the Vikings in January 2023, when he completed 24 of 35 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 78 yards. That performance helped earn him the four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed with the Giants ahead of the 2023 season.
Jones spent six seasons with the Giants, primarily as a franchise quarterback. The No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Duke, Jones’ Giants tenure ended with a 22-44-1 record, 70 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions.
New York announced its intention to part ways with Jones on Friday. Team owner John Mara said in a statement that the organization and Jones “mutually agreed” that the move “would be in his and the team’s best interest.” After being benched last week, Jones was effectively no longer on the depth chart because the Giants would not be at risk of suffering an injury that would trigger a guarantee for the 2025 season.
