Vikings Could Tip Their Hand with QB Decision
The clearest indicator of the Minnesota Vikings keeping Sam Darnold in 2025 and beyond might be their relationship with newly added passer Daniel Jones.
Vikings Could Tip Their Hand with QB Decision
The Vikings signed Jones to their practice squad in November after the New York Giants cut ties with the expensive veteran.
And according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson — who is usually accurate with Vikings reporting — Minnesota is interested in re-upping with Jones in 2025.
“On Daniel Jones, yes, there is mutual interest, that continued, that Daniel Jones is with the Vikings next year,” Wolfson told SKOR North’s Mackey and Judd Show on Thursday.
How does this affect the Darnold decision, which will take over all things Vikings in mere weeks? Simple — re-signing Jones would be a strong hint that Minnesota is willing to let Darnold depart via free agency or franchise-tag-and-trade. It would be unlikely for the Vikings to keep Darnold, Jones, and rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. In theory, the club could make it work, but Jones is too good for a QB3 assignment. He’s a high-end QB2.
On Darnold, well, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a mega decision afoot — to extend him for $40-$50 million per season while wiping out the would-be funds to spend on 2025 free agents, franchise-tagging Darnold for $40 million, letting him open free agency + getting a compensatory draft pick, or franchise-tagging-and-trading him to a different team.
In the meantime, the Vikings have a 14-2 record and travel to Detroit this Sunday night, taking on the Lions for the NFC North crown, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It’s arguably the most important regular season game in franchise history.
If Minnesota retains Jones in 2025, he might fill the 2024 Darnold role, existing on the depth chart as insurance for McCarthy, who Minnesota selected last April as its quarterback of the future.
Meanwhile, Minnesota could activate Jones this weekend to ensure it would receive a compensatory pick in 2026 if Jones leaves in free agency 2.5 months from now. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted Monday, six days before Lions-Vikings: “Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings will discuss whether to add QB Daniel Jones to the 53-man roster this week, which would put him into their compensatory pick formula if he signs elsewhere in free agency. O’Connell said coaches haven’t talked about how that might impact QB depth.”
Keep an eye on Jones, as his presence on the 2025 Vikings roster would tip the team’s hand about Darnold. It would be quite odd for Minnesota to keep all three.
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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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