Vikings sign Daniel Jones

Yep. Wow, KOC's pull is strong. This is probably not his best option for becoming a starter again any time soon, but getting to work with the QB whisperer trumps that apparently.

Why not? Chance to work with a good coach for a few months. Look at the great receiver options he will have.
And we have a class team and facility.

Who knows how it'll pan out but I agree with others-- Jones coming here at all speaks highly of the team and organization.

Almost no risk and maybe KO can work another miracle. Would be extremely impressive and also pretty funny if he can!

4D angles- Jones was tight with the Mannings right? Can't hurt to get in good with them, Arch isn't so far off. Lastly and most importantly isn't Daniel Jones dating Kay Adams (allegedly)? Nice get for the purple faithful.

I see several sides to this, but am still shocked.
But they got him for 375,000 for the rest of the year.
Mullins is perfect this year as a backup (2 for 2).
But yes, he can hone his skills under KOC and maybe resurrect his career somewhere else. The biggest thing to fix on Daniel Jones is the 8 inches between his ears. Attitude, positive culture, and great facilities make this a good spot for him.
But ya gotta admit, the QB room will be crowded early on.
KOC really learned his lesson about depth at QB last year, didn't he? This is almost over-compensating, but given the situation, he is doing the smart thing.

Looks like he is going to the practice squad initially. A key aspect that makes this a pretty savvy move -

"If Jones does leave the Vikings after this season, the team will be in line to receive a compensatory draft pick for him in 2026."

If I understand correctly he could still possibly be poached from another team while on PS.
He could also refuse if that were to happen.

JR44 wrote:
Looks like he is going to the practice squad initially.  A key aspect that makes this a pretty savvy move -

"If Jones does leave the Vikings after this season, the team will be in line to receive a compensatory draft pick for him in 2026."

To be eligible for a compensatory pick, #Vikings QB Daniel Jones must be on the active roster for week 18.

Thus, at minimum, the Vikings will have to elevate Jones to the active roster heading into the Week 18 #Lions game to be eligible. https://t.co/7tywbnHmKt pic.twitter.com/KWkeFdoHxx

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 27, 2024

I could be wrong but think Jones is meant to be our 2025 backup, more than he is bait for a comp pick. Right now the only QB we have under contract next year is McCarthy.

MaroonBells wrote:

To be eligible for a compensatory pick, #Vikings QB Daniel Jones must be on the active roster for week 18.

Thus, at minimum, the Vikings will have to elevate Jones to the active roster heading into the Week 18 #Lions game to be eligible. https://t.co/7tywbnHmKt pic.twitter.com/KWkeFdoHxx

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 27, 2024

I could be wrong but think Jones is meant to be our 2025 backup, more than he is bait for a comp pick. Right now the only QB we have under contract next year is McCarthy.

I think Jones will be around next year too but if he's with us in Week 18 and depending on the circumstances, they better elevate him! If we don't elevate him at all, I wonder if the possible comp pick reverts to the Giants? That'd be even more incentive to do it.

ncvike wrote:
If I understand correctly he could still possibly be poached from another team while on PS. He could also refuse if that were to happen.

Thats my understanding too...
Raiders come a calling in a week or 2 he can say thanks but no thanks...

MaroonBells wrote:

I could be wrong but think Jones is meant to be our 2025 backup, more than he is bait for a comp pick. Right now the only QB we have under contract next year is McCarthy.

I suspect he'll get moved to the 53 by Wk 18 for comp purposes. For 25, Mullens could be gone and the QB room is JJM/Dimes/Rookie or FA.

Agreed, the QB and DB rooms are pretty bare for 25. 

If they do sign Dimes to a contract, the only quesiton is will QB1 be an open competition in 25 or is JJ is the presumed starter and Dimes knows he's QB2?

Lots of potential scenarios, but those are for another day. We got the end of a 9/2 season to enjoy!!

StickierBuns wrote:

Wow is right. KOC is a rockstar with the players obviously and around the league. His next contract is just going up and up, Zygi.....not sure what you are waiting for.

Yup, they cost themselves some big coin waiting...

KOC and Darnold are both going to get the bag.

Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff WriterNov 27, 2024, 12:36 PM ET

EAGAN, Minn. -- The smile said it all. Pressed Monday about his interest in signing free agent quarterback Daniel Jones, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell uttered 10 words -- one of the shortest answers he's ever given at a news conference -- and then pursed his lips in an unsuccessful attempt to suppress a growing grin.

"Really not going to get into that at this time," O'Connell said.

There will be no reason to skip over the topic Wednesday, or moving forward, after the Vikings signed the former New York Giants quarterback to a one-year contract for the remainder of the season. 

But an updated question remains valid: What exactly was there to smile about?

Jones failed so spectacularly as the Giants' starter this season that the team decided it was better for the franchise to not only bench him, but to bury him on the depth chart and then waive him, rather than risk an injury that could trigger 2025 guarantees. Since New York drafted him with the No. 6 pick in 2019, Jones ranks 27th out of 39 eligible quarterbacks in QBR.

The answer lies in the complicated quarterback matrix the Vikings find themselves in, one that seemed destined to remain dormant until the offseason but will now take a prominent place in public discussion around the team.

Starter Sam Darnold joined Minnesota on a one-year contract during the offseason and has surpassed all expectations in leading the Vikings to a 9-2 record, having already topped his career high in touchdown passes (20), and he could command a hefty free agent contract.

Darnold is 27 and perhaps hitting the prime of his career, and re-signing him would make sense in the abstract. But rookie J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft, is the team's quarterback of the future. Adding a market-level veteran deal for Darnold would negate the roster-building advantage of having a starter on a rookie contract.

Plus McCarthy's performance during training camp suggested he was close to being ready to start even then. At the time, O'Connell said: "I really believe that J.J. has kind of confirmed to me and a lot of our coaches and players that we got the right guy in the building for the future."

McCarthy is also the only quarterback under contract for the 2025 season, as backups Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien are on expiring deals as well. Even if you assume McCarthy will make a full recovery from surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee, one that required a second surgery earlier this month to address swelling, the Vikings would need to pair him with a veteran of some kind.

That's probably the best way to think about Wednesday's move. It's pretty unlikely the Vikings will need Jones to play this season, assuming Darnold remains healthy and maintains his level of play. (Vikings fans will remember, however, that the team went through four quarterbacks in 2023. It can happen.)

O'Connell has earned a reputation as one of the NFL's best quarterback tutors, and his work with Darnold this season should serve as a résumé-defining accomplishment.

He spearheaded the team's transition from Kirk Cousins this spring, ultimately deciding on a combination of Darnold and McCarthy, and he said Monday that he had a strong evaluation of Jones prior to the 2019 draft. That season, O'Connell was Washington's offensive coordinator and ultimately watched as the Giants selected Jones at No. 6 while Washington drafted Dwayne Haskins at No. 15.

If nothing else, the Vikings get a chance to see Jones close up and work with him months before they will have to make an offseason decision on building the position's depth around McCarthy.

Jones, meanwhile, will get the benefit of attending one of the NFL's top quarterback schools before he needs to market himself in free agency. He will start out on the Vikings' practice squad, so he'll also have the chance to sign with another team if a starting quarterback goes down in the next three weeks.

Could Jones be the player the Vikings want behind, or beside, McCarthy in 2025? Perhaps. 

That would put Jones in a similar spot to where Darnold found himself in as the 49ers' backup in 2023, a move that helped spur his arrival in Minnesota. There's no harm in finding out earlier rather than later. The one risk, however, is adding another veteran quarterback in the middle of a playoff push, which suggests the team is already thinking about the moment when its current starter moves on.

Darnold has been rock-solid through some ups and downs during his brief Vikings tenure, and he has been careful to avoid public discussion about his past or his future. So Jones' arrival might not matter much to him, but at the very least, it will require an extra level of management from O'Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.

There will be plenty of smiles in Minnesota today -- along with a reminder that the future can come faster than you think.

Darnold has nothing to worry about. It'll take at least a month for Daniel Jones to learn the offense, build some chemistry with our offensive players, etc.

Sam is our starter this season, period. He's earned it. He's also signing somewhere else after this year. He earned himself a Baker contract.

All this move means is the Vikings have an opportunity to get another veteran former first round bust in here to see if we can work some magic with him and give us an option to potentially keep him around next year as a veteran backup to JJM or competition to push him... Or we get a comp pick if he leaves.

Speaks volumes Jones turned down (allegedly) 17 opportunities to sign with us as a backup. Another feather in Kevin O'Connell's cap being the type of coach guys want to come play for.

I beleive the vikings can protect 4 players every week on the practice squad .under think he will be protected so I wo

Rapoport said the Raiders, Ravens, 49ers and Dolphins also tried to sign him.

Good signing. I feel better about our chances if something happens to Darnold now

purplefaithful wrote:
Jones, meanwhile, will get the benefit of attending one of the NFL's top quarterback schools before he needs to market himself in free agency. He will start out on the Vikings' practice squad, so he'll also have the chance to sign with another team if a starting quarterback goes down in the next three weeks.

Just like degrees or certifications for certain jobs, Jones can soon bill himself as a KOC-trained QB in the 2025 market. Pretty clever on his part. 

So I think I've changed my mind completely on what this is all about. I no longer think Jones is intended to be our backup in 2025. It's possible, but he's going to be a free agent. He's not going to get $40M again, but he'll get a low-end starter salary and the Vikings are not really in the market for that.  

Vikings are doing Mr. Dimes a solid by letting him perch on our PS to watch the knees and ankles of all the QBs on playoff teams. If one goes down, he signs with that team. No harm, no foul. If one doesn't, he stays at KOC-U, puts that at the top of his resume, signs with a new team in the fall and the Vikings get what should be another 3rd round comp pick.

MaroonBells wrote:

Just like degrees or certifications for certain jobs, Jones can soon bill himself as a KOC-trained QB in the 2025 market. Pretty clever on his part. 

So I think I've changed my mind completely on what this is all about. I no longer think Jones is intended to be our backup in 2025. It's possible, but he's going to be a free agent. He's not going to get $40M again, but he'll get a low-end starter salary and the Vikings are not really in the market for that.  

Vikings are doing Mr. Dimes a solid by letting him perch on our PS to watch the knees and ankles of all the QBs on playoff teams. If one goes down, he signs with that team. No harm, no foul. If one doesn't, he stays at KOC-U, puts that at the top of his resume, signs with a new team in the fall and the Vikings get what should be another 3rd round comp pick.

You could be spot on...My guess is its a slightly longer play than that. 

I'll predict that he signs for 1 year with the Vikings (on a Darnold like contract) to immerse in the cleansing, soothing & warm waters of TCO. 

A mos or two at season end isnt enough time (physically, mentally or spiritually).

StickierBuns wrote:

Mullens would play, not Jones. This signing is a bit odd honestly for Minnesota. Paul Allen said he'd bet a paycheck that Mullens would get all the play if something happened to Darnold, which makes sense. How would Jones catch up at this point? If Jones doesn't end up being the backup next year, this signing is nothing more than a warm hug.....but I think there's some smoke to the fire of backup for Danny Dimes in 2025 in Minnesota. I think KOC laid out a plan. But even then I still have a hard time seeing it from Jones's perspective fully.

Agreed. With the complexity of the offense it would be Mullens in the short term and that makes sense, however, come playoff time if the season was on line and we had to turn to a backup, I'd bet it would be Jones. Hoping Darnold stays healthy and we don't have to find out, but if that played out, I'd like our chances better with Danny Dimes.

supafreak84 wrote:

Agreed. With the complexity of the offense it would be Mullens in the short term and that makes sense, however, come playoff time if the season was on line and we had to turn to a backup, I'd bet it would be Jones. Hoping Darnold stays healthy and we don't have to find out, but if that played out, I'd like our chances better with Danny Dimes.

I agree with this. Yes, Mullens is going to be QB2 for the foreseeable future, but there will probably be a point where it could switch to Jones. And because of the comp rule, week 18 seems likely. That gives him 5 weeks to learn the offense. He won't be proficient with it by then, not even close, but maybe enough to unseat Mullens as we head into the playoffs.

Why Daniel Jones signing with the Vikings makes a world of sense for both sides

The video clips have been constant.

A couple of months ago, head coach Kevin O’Connell joined “The Pat McAfee Show” and spoke about the pivotal role a team must play in developing a young quarterback. The clip was heavily circulated on the internet.

Several weeks later, O’Connell found Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson on the field after a game and provided an uplifting message. Microphones caught the soundbite, and it, too, went viral.
These might seem like one-offs, a couple of flattering snapshots of O’Connell at the right time. They’re not.

These moments capture O’Connell’s perspective on coaching the position he once played. If you aren’t empathizing and you aren’t uplifting — if you aren’t doing everything you can to give your quarterback and team the best chance — then what are you really doing?

O’Connell’s approach is not fake, either. He is self-aware enough to have admitted his perspective was shaped by his journey, his unfulfilled promise as a player. His path made him who he is as a coach, which has shaped who the Vikings have become as an organization. With a great deal of intentionality, Minnesota has built and maintained an exceptional infrastructure at quarterback, and because of that, available players with options — like Daniel Jones — see it as the optimal destination.

On Wednesday, the Vikings signed Jones, 27, to their practice squad. O’Connell spoke with the four current Vikings quarterbacks (Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Brett Rypien and J.J. McCarthy) before making the move. Jones is expected to arrive in Minnesota on Friday before the team’s Week 13 game Sunday at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

“I got a chance to talk to (Daniel) Monday night,” O’Connell said Wednesday. “He had a lot of interest and rightly so.”

Because the New York Giants released Jones last week, and because he cleared waivers, the Vikings will only have to pay Jones a smidge over $100,000. Signing with the practice squad, as opposed to the 53-man roster, also means another team could sign Jones in the event of an injury to its starter. If he is added to the Vikings’ active roster, his price tag could increase.

For now, it feels like a sensible move for both sides because there are short- and long-term benefits for both Jones and the team.

Jones struggled this season for the 2-9 Giants. And rather than being thrust back into action in a new system and with different skill players, Jones, who is 22-44-1 as a starter, will have something that’s rare in today’s NFL: time. Jones will acclimate to an upbeat and experienced quarterback room in the coming days and weeks.

Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski will assist with Jones’ transition, a process Udinski is familiar with having played a part in last year’s introduction of Josh Dobbs.

Darnold will obviously remain the starter. As for the backup spot, the Vikings believe in Mullens. He started three games last year. He has entered games and completed meaningful third downs twice already this season. Jones might be an option in the most dire situation, a serious injury to Darnold.

It would be wrong to view this signing as an indication of anything in the present other than an opportunity for Jones to add insights to the quarterback room and build relationships with coaches and players.

“The player development side and the quarterback development side are huge passions of mine,” O’Connell said. “I just love getting opportunities to work with guys. … Hopefully our system is built to help guys realize their truest potential. It’s as simple as that.”

But there may be larger ramifications, as well. Of the Vikings quarterbacks, only McCarthy is under contract for 2025. He is still recovering from surgery this fall to repair a torn meniscus. The Vikings have reiterated McCarthy’s timeline is still on track and that he should be ready to pick up where he left off this spring and summer. That doesn’t change the fact that Minnesota is still going to need another quarterback (or two) for 2025.

Signing Jones to the practice squad does not mean Darnold won’t return. That possibility (or the lack thereof) will depend on Darnold’s value, which has increased by the week. Only Josh Allen and Justin Herbert have a higher big-time throw rate this season than Darnold, according to Pro Football Focus. He is also completing a career-high 67.6 percent of his passes. His 10 interceptions might raise a red flag for some teams, but his combination of toughness and athleticism should put him in position to receive a sizable pay increase.

The primary reason the Vikings transitioned from Kirk Cousins to Darnold (and McCarthy) was the flexibility it provided from a roster-building perspective. That team-building approach remains, potentially pricing Darnold out for 2025.

This is purely speculative, but Darnold’s departure would leave a void, and that’s where Jones presents another option. If Jones fits in seamlessly over the next couple of months, Darnold continues to excel before leaving this offseason for a massive payday and the Vikings need a quarterback for 2025, they’ll have already built a relationship with Jones who will be one of the better available options. Conversely, if Jones doesn’t fit, or if Darnold decides to come back, Jones can sign elsewhere, strengthening the Vikings’ formula for a compensatory pick.

It takes some gymnastics to find a downside here, which is why other respected teams were said to have reached out to Jones, too.

The Vikings’ pitch was not filled with PowerPoints or talking points, but it was full of examples. Privately, Cousins’ exit from Minnesota was difficult because of how much O’Connell empowered him.

This spring, the Vikings were committed enough to build an infrastructure that allowed for patience for McCarthy, so they forked over $10 million for Darnold. O’Connell often shares how important it is to build genuine relationships with players, and this opportunity made that possible with Jones. The Vikings’ offer verified that the discussion point is real.

Squint and you’ll see a move emblematic of what O’Connell has established in Minnesota: a franchise focused on maximizing the most important position in the sport not for one season but for the long haul.

Source: The Athletic