Daniel Jones didn’t need long to formalize his next step after his abrupt split with the New York Giants.
After going unclaimed on waivers Monday, the sixth-year veteran quarterback is set to sign a contract with the Minnesota Vikings, coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed Wednesday. The one-year deal through the remainder of the season is worth $375,000, per reports. Jones is expected to start out on the Vikings’ practice squad, leaving him free to sign with another team if another opportunity arises.
Jones, 27, was officially waived by the Giants on Saturday after the team said Friday it came to a mutual agreement to separate with the longtime starter after his benching earlier in the week.
New York (2-9) opted to make the switch behind center coming out of its bye week. Jones threw two interceptions in the Giants’ 20-17 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers before the break, with the defeat extending the team’s losing streak to five games. After the game, Giants coach Brian Daboll said the team would evaluate all of its options.
With a $23 million injury guarantee for 2025 in his contract, Jones was buried on the depth chart after his benching, with starter Tommy DeVito, backup Drew Lock and recently signed Tim Boyle all ahead of him.
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Dropped a little more than 20 months after he signed four-year, $160 million contract with the Giants, Jones had just eight touchdown passes this season with seven interceptions this season. Through 11 weeks, his 79.4 passer rating in 2024 ranked 32nd among qualified passers.
In Minnesota, Jones should slide in as the backup to Sam Darnold as the Vikings (9-2) prepare for a possible playoff run. Rookie J.J. McCarthy was lost for the season after undergoing meniscus surgery in August, leaving Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien as the fallback options behind Darnold.
“I got to know him through the draft process years ago,’ O’Connell said of Jones on Monday when asked about the possibility of signing him. ‘I’m sure, now that he’s a free agent, there’s probably a ton of league-wide interest in him. I can just say I’ve been a fan of Daniel’s for a long time and hope wherever his next stop takes him, it’s a good opportunity for him.’
This story has been updated to include new information and a new video.