The previous New York Giants The quarterback Daniel Jones Signing with Minnesota VikingsCoach Kevin O’Connell said Wednesday, a remarkable move for a team likely facing another quarterback transfer in the offseason.
Jones became a free agent on Monday after clearing waivers following a mutual decision to move on from New York. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jones prioritized signing with the playoff contender Vikings among his potential destinations.
A source told Schefter that the Vikings are signing Jones for $375,000 for the remainder of this season. He will start on the Vikings’ practice squad, leaving open the possibility that Jones could sign with another team if another quarterback is gone over the next three weeks.
Jones is set to become a free agent after this season.
O’Connell said Wednesday afternoon that Jones is scheduled to join the practice squad Friday morning, pending the finalization of his one-year contract. O’Connell said there was no need to speculate on the future implications of Jones’ arrival, adding: “There are short-term and long-term conversations that are ongoing at every position on our roster.”
O’Connell said the Vikings will not release a quarterback as part of the move.
“I’ve always been a fan. [of Jones]” O’Connell said. “Love, really liked the person, the person, the makeup, and then the player, Daniel Jones. I think there’s a lot of really cool stuff ahead of him that we’re going to be a part of personally, and I can’t wait to work with him.”
Earlier this week, O’Connell spoke with every quarterback on the roster to reiterate his confidence in them. Minnesota has a QB depth chart. Sam Darnold, Nick Mullins And Brett Rypin with the JJ McCarthy On injured reserve.
“I think it’s important,” O’Connell said. I wouldn’t be who I claim to be and be myself if I didn’t have clear, open and honest conversations with these guys, which in many ways I hope they weren’t surprised to hear. will be The level of confidence they have in our current quarterback room [is high]and I just think we’re adding to that when Daniel comes in on Friday.”
Entering Wednesday, the Vikings had just one quarterback under contract through the 2025 season. It’s rookie McCarthy, who suffered a season-ending meniscus injury in his right knee during his preseason debut and has since undergone a second surgery to deal with inflammation that developed during his rehab. Doctors gave him a biologic injection, and the Vikings have said his timetable for a 2025 return is still on track.
McCarthy’s injury moved the veteran Darnold from a potential bridge option to the Vikings’ starting quarterback. He has led the team to a 9-2 record during a career year, already surpassing his career high for touchdown passes in a season (21), and this offseason. A hefty free agent contract could be made.
He welcomed Jones to the team.
“Just excited to get him here and be teammates with him,” he said. “He’s played a lot of football, so just to leverage his experience on some things, he’s going to help this football team.”
In the short term, Jones is likely to back up both Darnold and current No. 2 quarterback Nick Mullins. If nothing else, Wednesday’s move will give the Vikings a head start on whether they want to pair Jones with McCarthy in 2025. It also puts Jones with one of the NFL’s best quarterback tutors, Kevin O’Connell.
One of the best games of Jones’ career came in a wild-card playoff game 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 secure a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Giants before the 2023 season.
Jones spent six seasons with the Giants, mostly as the franchise quarterback. The No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft at Duke, Jones’ tenure with the Giants finished with a 22-44-1 record, 70 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions.
New York announced its intention to part ways with Jones on Friday. The team Owner John Mara said in a statement that the organization and Jones mutually agreed that the move would be best for him and the team. After benching him last week, Jones was effectively off the depth chart because the Giants wouldn’t risk an injury that would trigger a guarantee for the 2025 season.