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The Daniel Jones sweepstakes are heating up as the former New York Giants quarterback awaits the conclusion of the NFL waiver process.
On the morning of November 24, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that “the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings are two of the likeliest teams to land free-agent quarterback Daniel Jones, per sources.”
This isn’t the first time Jones has been connected to Baltimore as a potential Lamar Jackson backup, but the Vikings are more of a new development. Although some have suggested Minnesota as a plausible landing spot, Schefter is the first to report interest.
Former New York Jets first-round draft pick Sam Darnold is the current Vikings starter, and he plays inside a highly thought of offensive system with a strong blocking unit and a star-studded group of pass-catchers (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson).
Needless to say, this would likely be a very appealing landing spot for Jones, assuming Minnesota is indeed interested in signing him.
Sam Darnold’s Recent Shaky Stretch Opens the Door for Daniel Jones With Vikings
It does make a lot of sense for the Vikings to look into a Jones addition, considering Minnesota is 8-2 despite very mixed results from Darnold in recent weeks.
Darnold has served as Minnesota’s starting QB throughout the entire 2024 campaign, and he was thriving with his fourth NFL organization early on. Since Week 5 against the Jets, however, his performances have been far less consistent according to ESPN’s Total QBR metric.
QBR judges a quarterback for their total impact on the game, not just as a passer but in every aspect of the position. Here are Darnold’s past six QBR ratings since Week 5 (graded out of 100): 13.3, 52.4, 80.2, 55.1, 34.0 and 65.4.
Out of those six games, only the 80.2 and 65.4 ratings would be considered above average, and sub-50 ratings would obviously be below average.
By comparison, Jones has — at times — flashed with a weaker supporting cast. The long-time Giants signal-caller earned a 74.1 QBR against the Washington Commanders on November 3, as well as QBRs above 68 facing the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Commanders again.
To be fair, Jones has logged dreadful performances too, with five QBR ratings under 40 this season. But at the very least, he could be brought in to compete with Darnold should he falter down the stretch.
Keep in mind that Jones also led his only playoff victory over the Vikings organization in 2022, and Jones didn’t just game manage his way to an upset, he impressed.
The former NYG quarterback registered a 114.1 passer rating during that playoff outing, completing 68.57% of passes for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran the ball for 78 yards on the ground and committed zero turnovers — so the Vikings are certainly aware of Jones’ potential.
Ex-Giants QB Daniel Jones Is Expected to Have Plenty of Interest Around the NFL, ‘Wants to Sign With Playoff Contender’
Circling back to Schefter’s November 23 report, the ESPN insider added that the Ravens and Vikings are “hardly the only” suitors when it comes to Jones.
The San Francisco 49ers were highlighted as another potential destination on November 23, and several others have been mentioned as possibilities as well.
“Jones wants to sign with a playoff contender,” Schefter concluded on Sunday morning, “and what happens in Week 12 is expected to influence his decision.”
That could mean rumored destinations like the Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans are less likely as Jones homes in on his next NFL opportunity.
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