There could be some activity brewing at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, based on a report naming the AFC North franchise among the “likeliest” to sign former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones.
The report comes from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He revealed on Sunday, November 24 how the Ravens and “Minnesota Vikings are two of the likeliest teams to land Jones, sources said, but they are hardly the only ones. Jones wants to sign with a playoff contender, and what happens Sunday and Monday is expected to influence his decision, sources said.”
This isn’t the first time the Ravens have been named as an ideal suitor for Jones after his recent release by the Giants. Yet Schefter’s report does add more tangible reasons for why the Ravens would make a move to alter the depth chart behind two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
Ravens Have Extra Reasons to Acquire Daniel Jones
Some of the more compelling reasons for signing Jones concern on-field, football benefits. Things like Jones being battle-tested by 69 career starts and leading the Giants to the playoffs and a postseason win in 2022.
There’s also the 27-year-old’s mobility to consider. Jones is a dual-threat signal-caller who fits what the Ravens like to do with their Jackson-led offense. Perhaps most important, Jones is a younger, more dynamic deputy for Jackson than 38-year-old incumbent Josh Johnson.
All of those are valid reasons representing the short-term benefit of acquiring Jones, but the Ravens could also make this move with one eye on the future. Specifically, the 2026 NFL draft.
As Schefter’s colleague Jamison Hensley pointed out, “the team that signs Jones would likely get a comp pick in 2026 if he signs elsewhere this offseason.”
Signing Jones for the remainder of the season then letting him test free agency in 2025 would be a smart strategy from general manager Eric DeCosta. He’d get a future draft pick he could use in ’26 or as part of a trade a year earlier.
Getting that level of flexibility for their annual team-building process at a cheap cost would be a win-win for the Ravens. Provided they act quickly once Jones clears waivers.
Ravens Must Move Fast for QB Reinforcements
Schefter explained how “No team is expected to claim the balance of Jones’ contract — $11,833,333 for this season in addition to the $23 million in injury guarantees for after this season — making him free to sign with another team after 4 p.m. ET Monday.”
Once Jones lands on the free-agency market, the Ravens and any other suitor will need to move swiftly. That’s because “Jones, who was officially waived Saturday by the Giants, is expected to have multiple options but likely will prefer to finish the season on a playoff contending team, where he will be involved in big games, rather than going to a meandering quarterback-needy team not remotely in playoff contention, according to sources,” per Schefter.
Acting in a hurry makes sense for the Ravens. They are still in the playoff mix in the AFC, but ambitions are higher for a team that fell at the Conference Championship hurdle last season.
Those ambitions rest on Jackson staying healthy. It’s a risky proposition considering he missed 10 games through injury across the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
Bringing Jones on board would give the Ravens a greater level of comfort about their options at football’s most important position.
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Ravens Among ‘Likeliest’ to Sign 69-Start Quarterback: Report