These Are the Vikings’ Next Steps with Daniel Jones
The Minnesota Vikings have recently added an old friend to the practice squad when they signed Daniel Jones. Drafted by the Giants in 2019, New York released him less than two seasons after he signed his huge contract extension, and he headed to the Twin Cities, where he had two of his best career games in the 2022 campaign.
These Are the Vikings’ Next Steps with Daniel Jones
Jones could’ve signed with any team, but he chose the Vikings for strategic reasons. The Vikings employ Kevin O’Connell, who is widely regarded as a quarterback whisperer, so it naturally is an intriguing spot for a QB who needs a bounceback after being benched by the Giants.
In addition to that, the club needs a second quarterback in the 2025 season, as Sam Darnold and backups Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien are scheduled to enter free agency in March.
But Jones is still on the practice squad. The reason for that is that he was not signed to be an immediate help. Minnesota’s decision-makers have a long-term plan.
NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero explained, “It might be another week, or two, or three before Minnesota adds Jones to the active roster. This is a long-term play by the Vikings. It gives them optionality in the event that Sam Darnold does not return next season.”
Darnold has suffered a few minor injuries. He left a couple of contests for one play each. The Vikes inserted backup Mullens, who completed both of his passes for first downs. Thankfully, Darnold has not been forced to sit out any extended period, but having insurance with starting experience and likely more upside than Mullens (like Jones) surely makes sense.
“Short-term the focus for Jones is just getting into the game plans, learning the language, learning the protections. He’s spending extra time every day with Kevin O’Connell, Grant Udinski, as well as Josh McCown. He’s just learning how they want him to play the position,” Pelissero continued.
Trying to learn as much as possible from O’Connell is the smart thing to do. Darnold has the entire offseason to get used to O’Connell’s ways of running the offense, while Jones is on an accelerated timeline.
The Vikings are 10-2, and it would require a historical breakdown to miss out on the postseason. The club holds a 99.7% chance to extend its season. In case something would happen to Darnold ahead of the playoffs, the coaches could ask Jones to step into his role. Therefore, he needs to get used to the playbook and know how to execute the offense.
Pelissero finished, “So, no rush having Daniel Jones up as the No. 2. But if something were to happen to Darnold in the coming weeks, Jones very well could be starting, and he’s preparing every day as if that’s a possibility.”
But even if Jones doesn’t play in the 2024 season, he can audition for the QB2 job for the 2025 campaign. The Vikings need an experienced passer next to 2024 rookie J.J. McCarthy in case he isn’t quite ready for Sundays once the season rolls around.
That is especially necessary if Darnold finds a new home in free agency because the Vikings will surely not spend big on the veteran quarterback with McCarthy waiting in the wings.
On the flip side, the Vikings have a couple of months to determine if Jones is the guy they want in Darnold’s role next year.
Jones has started 69 games in his career, throwing for over 14,000 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions in addition to 2,179 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt