Mark Sanchez Floats Landing Spot for Vikings QB

East Rutherford, NJ December 31, 2023 -- Former NY Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on the field during pre game warm ups. The New York Giants host the Los Angeles Rams on December 31, 2023 at at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. © Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK.

The Minnesota Vikings have three quarterbacks on tap to hit free agency in five weeks: Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Nick Mullens.

Mark Sanchez Floats Landing Spot for Vikings QB

The franchise is expected to hand the QB1 keys to J.J. McCarthy this offseason, though that assumption has not yet been fully confirmed.

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

And according to former NFLer Mark Sanchez, who knows a thing or two about the quarterback position, the Las Vegas Raiders should be a landing spot for Daniel Jones.

“Do not sleep on Daniel Jones. Wherever that guy goes, if he lands in the right spot, that would be one of the best places for him, with that head coach. He has all the ability in the world. That kid would be dialed there. I love that possibility,” Sanchez said this week on The Herd about Jones ending up with the Raiders.

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Ironically, that’s also the top landing spot for Sam Darnold this offseason, at least from a national viewpoint and the estimation of Vikings fans and analysts. It’s also the place Minnesota obtained Nick Mullens from 2.5 years ago, a trade with the Raiders.

Las Vegas owns the draft’s sixth overall pick in April, which is a bit like quarterback purgatory during this cycle. Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders will likely be off the board by pick No. 6, and the Raiders, for example, “reaching” for Jalen Milore, Jaxson Dart, or Quinn Ewers might be silly.

Otherwise, the Raiders have Aidan O’Connell on the 2025 books, its only possible solution without free-agent signings like Darnold or Jones. Las Vegas could also explore the draft’s mid-rounds for a passer and use the sixth overall pick on a wide receiver or lineman.

Mark Sanchez
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If Jones departs Minnesota in two months, his departure will affect the Vikings’ complicated compensatory formula. 

Jones ranked 26th of 36 qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE this season.

In November, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis called Jones’ preference for the Vikings a “move that speaks volumes about respect QBs have around NFL for Kevin O’Connell and Minnesota infrastructure.” He added, “This is the type of move this Vikings front office makes, too. The Vikings only have one QB under contract for 2025. Adding Jones keeps all options on the table, and it adds to the potential options. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Co always looking for multiple good paths.”

John Jones-Imagn Images.

Most Vikings fans believe Jones will be back in Minnesota as the team’s QB2 if Darnold leaves via free agency to another team — like the Raiders — while McCarthy earns the starter’s job.

But put Sanchez down as a Jones believer in Las Vegas.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

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