After clearing waivers following his release from the New York Giants, quarterback Daniel Jones will join the Minnesota Vikings for the duration of the 2024 NFL campaign.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed the news on Wednesday following reports that the former Duke signal caller preferred to sign with a playoff contender in free agency. Minnesota will be on the hook for $375,000 for the remainder of the season, with Jones set to become a free agent in the new year once again.
“I’ve always been a fan [of Jones],” O’Connell told reporters. “Love, really liked the person, the human being, the makeup, and then the player, Daniel Jones. I think there’s so much out in front of him that are going to be really good things that we get to personally be a part of, and I can’t wait to work with him.”
With rookie QB J.J. McCarthy on injured reserve, the Vikings had a full quarterback room already with started Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, and Brett Rypien all on the roster. However, O’Connell said that the team doesn’t plan to release any of the QBs in a corresponding move, saying that he likes the depth the team now has at the position.
The Vikings HC said that he spoke with each of the quarterbacks prior to signing off on bringing Jones aboard to bring them up to speed on their roles moving forward.
“I think that’s important,” O’Connell said. “I wouldn’t be who I kind of claim to be and be authentically me if I didn’t have a clear, open and honest communication with those guys, which in a lot of ways I hope they weren’t surprised to hear my confidence level in them. My confidence level in our current quarterback room [is high], and I only think we’re adding to it when Daniel arrives on Friday.”
Starter Sam Darnold echoed his coach’s enthusiasm telling reporters “Just excited to get him in here and be teammates with him…He’s played a lot of football, so just to be able to draw from his experience on certain things, he’s going to help this football team.”
Since joining the league in 2019 as the 6th overall selection in the NFL Draft, Jones has turned in uneven production at the NFL level. The 6’5″ QB enjoyed a productive rookie season, throwing for 24 TDs, and rushing for another 2, but has been plagued by ball security concerns since turning pro.
Jones threw 12 interceptions as a rookie, and mixed in 6 fumbles (3 of which were lost), and hasn’t managed to shake the label of being turnover prone by the New York media since. A particularly dismal (and injury plagued) 2023 campaign in which he threw only 2 TDs but registered 6 INTs didn’t help matters either.
Through 10 games in 2024 Jones has thrown for 2,070 yards with a near even 8 TD to 7 INT ratio, while also taking 29 sacks behind a leaky Giants offensive line. The writing was likely on the wall for the Charlotte, NC native when New York’s front office inexplicably signed Jones to a massive extension which paved the way for fan favourite Saquon Barkley to become a free agent following the 2023 NFL campaign.
With Barkley now having an MVP-esque campaign for the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, and New York looking like they’ll have a top 5 pick in next spring’s NFL Draft, the vitriol from the New York press and fanbase became too much for Jones and the team alike to ignore. As such, the front office ultimately granted Jones’ request to be released, giving the 27 year old a chance for a fresh start somewhere else.
With Jones expected to join his new Vikings teammates on Friday, it’s unclear whether the team will make him active for Sunday’s 1pm ET showdown with the visiting Arizona Cardinals.
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