Week 10 marked the beginning of the end of Daniel Jones’ era, as the Giants lost to the Panthers 20-17 in overtime.
Shortly after, he was benched for Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito. Worse, Jones was demoted to third-string quarterback behind Drew Lock and was seen playing scout safety in practice. Finally, the Giants released him.
As many know, Jones signed a four-year deal worth 160 million dollars in March 2023. Woof. Two years remain on that contract, and Jones just signed with the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.
If you’ve been paying attention this NFL season, this situation could end in an oddly familiar way. Two of New York’s three teams have moved on from their first-round QBs, both of whom are now with the Minnesota Vikings. Sam Darnold, the Vikings’ starting QB, was moved from one poor organization to another.
First, the Jets. Then the Panthers. And he finally found the light with the 49ers, where he backed up Brock Purdy. Now, Darnold finds himself a real home up North.
The Vikings were projected to win around seven games this season. Against the odds, they are 10-2 and rank in the top half of the league for total offense. With five weeks remaining, Darnold has thrown 23 touchdowns, four more than his career high.
Darnold has truly revived his career in Minnesota. However, will a similar change of scenery help develop Jones’ game as it did for Darnold?
Just a Scout Safety in Minnesota?
Four months ago, if you’d said the Vikings’ QBs would be Darnold, Nick Mullins, and Brett Rypien, I’d have predicted six or seven wins. While their season has been surprising, I doubt a 10-2 team signs a “big-name QB” just for the practice squad.
So what’s the deal? The Vikings drafted JJ McCarthy in the first round of the NFL draft, and he looks to be the future. Does Minnesota GM Zygi Wolff owe Jones’ agent a big favor? 375k dollars is a pretty BIG favor if you ask me. But then again, I’m not a billionaire.
This is all just speculation at this point, especially since Jones’ signing was to the practice squad. Maybe the Vikings—and everyone else—saw that McCarthy wasn’t likely to be a great NFL QB. Maybe he was the best young passer available in the draft at the time. If that’s the case, we could see all three quarterbacks battle for the starting job next preseason. But why Jones?
The $160 Million Dollar Man
Over Jones’ six years in the Big Apple, he posted a 24-44-1 record. His best statistical year came in 2019 when he threw for 24 TDs in 12 starts, but the team posted a 4-12 record.
The Giants reached the postseason for the first time since 2016, defeating the 3rd-seeded Vikings in the Wild Card round. Later, they would fall to their divisional rival, Philadelphia. Jones became one of the league’s higher-paid QBs after leading the team to a 9-6-1 record with 3,205 yards and 15 TDs on 67% passing in that playoff season. Without that season, he’s won just 15 games in five years.
We don’t know what the future holds for Daniel Jones. He could be cut from the Vikings practice squad and join a struggling team for the season’s final weeks. One thing is clear: some offensive coordinator or passing specialist will have their work cut out when Jones ends up on their team.
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