Two teams interested in Daniel Jones in free agency — with a starting role on the table
Daniel Jones could actually have a market to start in 2025.
The failed Giants first-round pick is gaining some interest as a free agent, as ESPN.com reported the Colts and Browns have shown interest in the former top-10 draft pick.
Both teams have extremely unsettled situations at quarterback.
The Browns are without Deshaun Watson, who tore his Achilles twice in the the last six months and seems like a long shot to play next season.
Even when healthy there were plenty of concerns over Watson’s play. The Browns could represent a potential shot for Jones to be a starter next season.
Indianapolis has top draft pick Anthony Richardson at the top of its depth chart, but his 2024 season was plagued by inconsistent play and marred by a decision to pull himself out for one play in Week 8 against the Texans because he was tired.
Forty-year-old Joe Flacco was more effective as the starter in Indianapolis, but the Colts ultimately went back to Richardson as the starter at the end of the season.
But Flacco’s success under head coach Shane Steichen could give hope that Jones could resurrect his career there.
Flacco threw for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in seven games, while Richardson played in 12 games and accumulated just 1,814, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Should Jones join the Browns, he could be competing with a premium draft pick.
Cleveland has the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft and could opt to select a quarterback, with Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado lightning-rod Shedeur Sanders considered the top options.
Jones, 27, was terrible for the Giants team the last two years, combining for 10 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 16 games played since 2023.
He was 3-13 as a starter in those games.
Despite having a massive contract, the Giants benched him for backup Tommy DeVito and later cut Jones at his request.
The Minnesota Vikings added him to their practice squad and he was elevated to Sam Darnold’s backup for their playoff loss to the Rams.
What do you think? Post a comment.
If the Vikings opt not to re-sign Darnold, Jones could remain in Minnesota and compete with JJ McCarthy for the starting job.
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus.
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Vikings expected to sign embattled QB on bargain $13.3M deal to pair with J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota Vikings
RYAN OLEARY
According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, the buzz coming out of the NFL’s Scouting Combine is good news for J.J. McCarthy’s chances of being named the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings entering the 2025 season.
While there’s still time to place the franchise tag on current starter Sam Darnold and explore a potential trade, Fowler doesn’t see that happening: “There’s not much momentum coming out of the combine that the Vikings will franchise tag Darnold, who should have multiple suitors if available,” Fowler reported Sunday morning for ESPN. “The Giants, Raiders and Titans are among the logical options. And I’m not totally discounting the Steelers here — not yet, at least.”
This is hardly breaking news, as the Vikings were always highly unlikely to place a $40-plus million tag on Darnold for the 2025 season. Minnesota has its future at the position in place in the 22-year-old McCarthy, and if Darnold does indeed walk in free agency, Fowler expects Minnesota’s top target to be a familiar face — and former highly-compensated No. 6 overall draft pick.
Fowler expects the Vikings to replace Darnold with pending free agent Daniel Jones, who would add a familiar veteran behind McCarthy in 2025 at a fraction of the cost. Here’s how he worded the report:
People I’ve spoken to believe that’s a real consideration for the team. As was told to me, McCarthy has already proven to the staff he’s the franchise quarterback, but the team won’t rush his timeline; they want the process to unfold organically, whether he’s ready now, in camp or in a future year. Jones would be a potential bridge to that and a cheaper alternative to Darnold.
Jones, who got a $160 million extension from the Giants in 2023, is projected to land a one-year deal this offseason in the range of $13.3 million, per Over the Cap. The Vikings have more than enough cap space to pay a little extra than your typical NFL backup QB for Jones, who joined the team’s practice squad in late November after being granted his release by New York.
While Darnold had a fantastic season for the Vikings in 2024, prioritizing a one-year deal for Jones over what PFF projects to be a three-year deal worth around $124 million for Darnold makes sense, based on Minnesota’s slew of roster needs entering the new league year. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., safety Cam Bynum and running back Aaron Jones are among the team’s most important pending free agents, and position groups like offensive guard and defensive tackle need to be bolstered or retooled.
Daniel Jones is far from the sexiest name on the market coming off his brutal tenure with the Giants, but neither was Darnold at this time last offseason. There was a reason coach Kevin O’Connell brought Jones to Minnesota after he cleared waivers last November, and if he saw enough to covet Jones’ services as McCarthy’s backup in 2025, that should be enough for Vikings fans to rally around.
MORE VIKINGS NEWS:
Ryan O’Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.
United States [English]
RYAN OLEARY
Company
Sporting News
NFL Network’s Rich Eisen heard buzz connecting Colts to ex-Giants QB Daniel Jones at NFL Combine
FILED UNDER:
That’s the second time the Colts have been connected to the former New York Giants first rounder in as many days.
According to NFL Network’s Rich Eisen on ‘The Rich Eisen Show,’ the name that he heard most among league circles at the NFL Combine for the Indianapolis Colts upcoming quarterback competition was ex-New York Giants franchise quarterback hopeful (now upcoming free agent) Daniel Jones (via Underdog Fantasy’s Josh Norris):
among the Top 5 rumors that @richeisen heard at the NFL Combine
the Colts plan to bring in Daniel Jones as Anthony Richardson’s “competition”https://t.co/y8gP1ngfMO pic.twitter.com/PJ2inVnRQq
The former 6th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New York Giants was one considered a potential elite quarterback in time, but essentially played his way out of the Big Apple’s good graces.
While his 2022 campaign once earned him a 4-year, $160 million contract extension, Jones struggled with inconsistency and turnovers when healthy the past two seasons—although he tore his ACL in 2023, which cost him the final 11 games of that season for New York.
Jones is coming off another disappointing season for the Giants in which he completed 216 of 341 pass attempts (63.3%) for 2,070 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions during 10 starts before being declared a healthy inactive because of his poor play, later waived, and then subsequently signed by the Minnesota Vikings as a backup quarterback.
Having rushed for 2,179 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns during his once fairly promising 6-year career, just like Colts’ projected 3rd-year starter Anthony Richardson, Jones does possess some dual-threat mobility—meaning Indy could still run RPO’s and similar offensive play-calling under head coach Shane Steichen regardless of who’s the starter.
That being said, is Jones really the competition that’s going to ideally push Richardson to be the best version of himself this offseason and throughout this summer’s training camp?
The free agency quarterback market isn’t great and more veteran or simply better options such as Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson don’t necessarily make as much sense because the Colts still want to place Richardson in a position to win the starting job outright.
Perhaps someone like Justin Fields, who projects to be the top choice on a lot of Colts fans lists may prove to be expensive—or have a better QB1 opportunity elsewhere, so who does that leave for Indianapolis?
Jones?
Maybe Jameis Winston?
Jacoby Brissett for a veteran mentor?
Athletic reclamation projects such as Trey Lance or Zach Wilson?
Jones isn’t a great option for me—or my first choice either for that matter.
However, if Fields proves to be too expensive, he at least has some experience with 69 career starts for the Giants to at least somewhat push Richardson in camp and keep the offensive playbook the same—while saving salary cap space to hopefully fill other roster holes.
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