One Team Is Evidently Interested in Daniel Jones
Minnesota Vikings fans tentatively have QB2 plans for Daniel Jones in 2025.
One Team Is Evidently Interested in Daniel Jones
Free-agent-to-be passer Sam Darnold is expected to fetch a fat contract with a new team if the Vikings don’t re-up with his services, paving the way for J.J. McCarthy to take over at QB1 next year.
And because McCarthy is so young and recovering from a torn meniscus, Minnesota might want an experienced QB2 as a fallback plan. Jones fits the description and finished the 2024 campaign on the Vikings’ roster. But according to an Arizona Cardinals-themed podcast, the Cardinals could poke around Jones’ would-be free agency.
“The Arizona Cardinals, per sources, called about Daniel Jones multiple times within the last calendar year. Monti Ossenfort had a significant interest in signing Daniel Jones,” PHNX Sports’ Johnny Venerable said last week.
“We’re preparing everybody: don’t be surprised if Daniel Jones is an Arizona Cardinal during free agency.”
The verbiage is a bit comical because Venerable seems to soften the blow for Cardinals fans who might not want Jones on the roster.
Kyler Murray is under contract through the end of 2028, so any Jones connection to Arizona is merely for backup quarterback purposes. Clayton Tune, a quarterback entering Year No. 3 in 2025, is slated for QB2 duty as the offseason begins, and Jones would obviously represent a significant upgrade.
Jones ranked 26th of 36 qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE this season, so he will hope for a QB1 shot somewhere eventually to boost that standing closer to the middle of the NFL.
Thanks to Spotrac, Jones’ price tag as a free agent has taken shape, too. His next team will likely pay him $13.3 million, perhaps on a one-year “prove it” or “bridge quarterback” deal. It’s not unlike Darnold in 2024, who signed with the Vikings for $10 million.
About two weeks ago, Jones was linked to the Las Vegas Raiders’ free-agent plans, possibly on deck to replace Gardner Minshew, also a free agent. Former NFLer Mark Sanchez, who knows a thing or two about the quarterback position, named the Raiders 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 on The Herd about Jones ending up with the Raiders.
But if Sanchez has it wrong, it might be the Cardinals, who were apparently interested in Jones last season.
Jones will turn 28 in May. Most purple fans expect Jones to return to Minnesota if Darnold leaves in free agency.
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.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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