QB Daniel Jones signs with Vikings, source says

Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is signing with the Minnesota Vikings, a source told ESPN on Wednesday, a notable move for a team likely facing another quarterback transition this offseason.

Jones became a free agent Monday after clearing waivers following a mutual decision to move on from New York. Sources had told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jones preferred to sign with a playoff contender, with the Vikings among his potential destinations.

The Vikings are signing Jones to a one-year deal for the remainder of this season for $375,000, a source told Schefter. He will start on the Vikings’ practice squad, leaving the possibility that Jones could sign with another team if another starting quarterback goes down over the next three weeks.

Jones is scheduled to become a free agent after this season.

As of Wednesday, the Vikings had just one quarterback under contract for the 2025 season. It’s rookie JJ McCarthy, who suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in his right knee during his preseason debut and has since had a second surgery to address swelling that had developed during his rehab. Doctors gave him a biologic injection, and the Vikings have said his timetable for a 2025 return remains on track.

McCarthy’s injury moved veteran Sam Darnold from a likely bridge option to the Vikings’ starting quarterback this season. He has led the team to a 9-2 record in the midst of a career year, already surpassing his career high for touchdown passes in a season (21), and could land a big contract this offseason.

In the short term, Jones is likely to back both Darnold and the incumbent No. 2 quarterback Nick Mullens. If nothing else, Wednesday’s move will give the Vikings a head start in evaluating whether they want to pair Jones with McCarthy in 2025. It also places Jones with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, one of the NFL’s top quarterback coaches.

O’Connell has been a fan of Jones since he evaluated him during the 2019 pre-draft process when he was Washington’s offensive coordinator. On Monday, O’Connell smiled twice when asked about Jones, but declined to get into his level of interest.

“I would say a lot of respect for Daniel Jones as a player and a person,” O’Connell said. “Enjoyed getting to know him through the draft process years ago. I’m sure now that he’s a free agent and there’s probably a lot of interest around the league for him, Daniel is going to make the decision that’s best for him and his career moving forward and I’m sure he’s working through that process right now … I can just say I’ve been a big fan of Daniels for a long time and I hope wherever his next step takes him, it’s a good opportunity for him.”

One of Jones’ best career games 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 lead to the four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed with the Giants ahead of the 2023 season.

Jones spent six seasons with the Giants, mostly as the franchise quarterback. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Duke, Jones’ Giants tenure ended with a 22-44-1 record, 70 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions.

New York announced its intention to part ways with Jones on Friday. Team owner John Mara said in a statement that the organization and Jones “mutually agreed” that the move “would be best for him and for the team.” After he was benched last week, Jones was effectively no longer on the depth chart because the Giants didn’t want to take any chances on an injury that would trigger a guarantee for the 2025 season.