Departed Viking Struck Gold in Free Agency
Minnesota made some massive moves this offseason. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has created excitement in the Twin Cities by addressing both lines. Still, the primary focus this offseason has been on the quarterback position with a trio of departed passers and J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings.
Departed Viking Struck Gold in Free Agency
The first major domino was Sam Darnold heading to Seattle. He signed a three-year contract with a relatively weak structure, indicating the Vikings perhaps could’ve matched that if they really wanted to keep the Pro Bowler around. A simple transaction was Nick Mullens, who joined the Jaguars with former Vikings coach Grant Udinski.
Much more complicated was the decision Daniel Jones had to make. He was a desired player in Minnesota and Indianapolis as insurance for franchise QB candidates McCarthy and Anthony Richardson. Both have potential, but injuries have slowed down their young careers.
Jones decided to compete with Richardson over McCarthy, reportedly because he viewed his chances of starting games as higher.
On Thursday, Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced that Richardson would be out for a while with a shoulder injury.
Steichen said, “Doctors, trainers checked it out. He’s got some aggravation in his AC joint. So we’re gonna sit him out this week. Obviously, he’ll sit out for minicamp. We’ll see when he comes back. Not gonna put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we’ll ease him into throwing, and then we’ll go from there. The good thing is he’s not gonna need a procedure right now.”
That’s the same AC joint that required season-ending surgery and forced him to sit out the majority of his debut season in 2023, which is concerning. He also suffered a concussion early in 2023 and an oblique injury in 2024. For two games in 2024, the Colts also benched him for Joe Flacco, who started the Vikings game last year. That makes 17 games missed with injuries and watching two on the sidelines in only two seasons.
Richardson arrived in the NFL as the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft. Coming out of Florida after only one season of starting experience, he was viewed as a project signal-caller with outrageous physical tools but an inconsistent arm.
Two years later, those concerns still remain. He has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, completing only 50.6% of his passes. He has rushed for another ten touchdowns and 635 yards in the 15 games he has played in.
Few quarterbacks in NFL history have had an arm as strong as his, and his linebacker frame is otherworldly for a QB. The problem is his health, and it can be questioned whether he is able to operate an NFL-level passing attack despite his one or two ridiculous throws each week.
Conversely, once he figures the throwing part out and reaches his potential, he would be one of the elite players in all of football. The question: just how likely is that?
And that’s why Jones was hired. When the Giants benched him, he had to take a step back, and he did that on Minnesota’s practice squad. The Colts bet that he can return to his 2022 level of play, when he was a solid QB option for the Giants.
His underwhelming 2023 was shortened by a torn ACL, and last year, he didn’t look comfortable on Sundays. He’s now in a prime position to gain a lead in the competition with his 23-year-old foe.
By no means is that competition decided in favor of Jones just yet, but he has a head start. Richardson keeps getting hurt, and his accuracy is still a concern. Had Jones stayed in Minnesota, he’d be unlikely to actually compete with McCarthy.
Another Vikings wrinkle is that Jones could hit some incentives via playing time, and those would boost his compensatory pick value. The Vikings might get a better draft pick if he can clinch the starting role.
Jones just turned 28.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.