Vikings GM Plays Chess with QB Move
From a national viewpoint, it will seem like the Minnesota Vikings are unsheathing Daniel Jones for an emergency quarterback assignment in the postseason.
Vikings GM Plays Chess with QB Move
In reality, the general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants to make sure his team receives a compensatory draft pick in 2026 if Jones leaves in free agency this March.
The Vikings promoted Jones to the active roster on Tuesday, waiving quarterback Brett Rypien to make room. Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted, “The Vikings have signed Daniel Jones to the active roster, putting them in line to get a compensatory pick for him if he leaves in free agency this off-season. They’re waiving Brett Rypien.”
If Jones departs Minnesota in two months, his departure will affect the NFL’s complicated compensatory formula. It’s worth noting that the Vikings would receive two compensatory picks in 2026 if defensive coordinator Brian Flores leaves to head coach a team this offseason. All aforementioned draft selections would hit the books in 2026.
These are the Vikings quarterbacks after the Jones maneuver:
- Sam Darnold
- Nick Mullens
- Daniel Jones
- J.J. McCarthy (IR)
Rypien may rejoin Minnesota’s roster tomorrow via the practice squad. Stay tuned.
Jones certainly didn’t play well as a Giant this season or last, but the working theory suggests Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell — known as a quasi-quarterback whisperer — could unlock his skill set like he’s done with Darnold in 2024. Darnold ranks 13th in the NFL among all qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. But if a hit knocked him down for the count, Minnesota would pivot to Mullens, who has a history of reckless turnovers. Jones is now an option in the postseason, as well.
Per the same EPA+CPOE metric, 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.”
The full compensatory pick outcome will come into view in late March.
Minnesota is favored to defeat the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football by 1.5 points in the Wildcard Round with Darnold at the helm.
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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