Marissa Myers/TWSN
Daniel Jones wanted to go to a contender, and that is exactly what happened after his release from the New York Giants. Jones hit waivers and ended up signing with the Minnesota Vikings to finish out the 2024 season.
With a major offseason ahead after losing to the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild card round of the playoffs, one area that needs to be addressed is the quarterback position.
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With Sam Darnold currently set to be a free agent, that is the main question the Vikings must look at addressing. In the end, Jones is the quarterback that provides them with the best solution.
Sam Darnold vs JJ McCarthy
Sam Darnold led the way for the Vikings during the 2024 season. With him under center this season he has revitalized his career leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record, and second place in the NFC North. During that stretch, this season he has thrown for 4,564 yards and 36 touchdowns over a 66.0% completion percentage. While he has been able to effectively produce in this Kevin O’Connell offense, Darnold has also had some issues come up late in the season that have hindered the offense
Darnold isn’t necessarily the best at processing when his receivers timing is disrupted due to getting jammed at the line of scrimmage. Teams got more film on Darnold in O’Connell’s system, and Darnold failed to adjust to what defenses are throwing at him. This led to him looking more like the player that was on the New York Jets. The main issue is the turnovers which have spiked, as he’s thrown 13 on the season, and in three of the last four games had a turnover-worthy play percentage over 4.0%. Darnold also isn’t necessarily the best rushing quarterback, which limits the Vikings at points, and is something that could be an issue come playoff time.
Darnold will still get a massive contract in free agency just due to the free agents being weak along with a weaker 2025 NFL Draft class for the position. This would leave the Vikings with just JJ McCarthy, their first round pick from 2024.
McCarthy possesses a lot of potential, which he showcased at Michigan. He finished his career with 6,231 yards and 48 touchdowns over 481 completions with just 11 interceptions. McCarthy reads defenses well and is able to anticipate throws to lead his receivers into ideal positions on a routine basis. The issue with McCarthy is he is coming off a season-ending knee injury he suffered before the season. He has no experience at the NFL level playing, and once he starts will have rookie errors the Vikings in their contending state can’t afford. They need a veteran in place that will allow McCarthy to not be rushed back, and is cheaper than what Darold will be commanding.
Daniel Jones is the Ideal Quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings
With the Vikings having a Super Bowl contending team, they need to make sure Darnold doesn’t hold them back. That is why they will prioritize signing Jones instead of him.
Jones showed potential in 2022 where he threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions can still be tapped into. Jones has clearly regressed since that season, and it’s led to him throwing seven touchdowns to just eight touchdowns this season with 2,070 yards over a 63.3% completion percentage.
Still, Jones has shown flashes of athleticism,with being able to rush for first downs when plays break down or extend plays outside the pocket. He also has shown decent accuracy, but that area is still sporadic as it all depends on his confidence. When Jones has time, and is confident in the throw he is making, he is able to make outstanding plays. It’s only when he isn’t confident that the issues for Jones start to show with inconsistency in his decision-making.
For Jones, he lands in an ideal situation with Justin Jefferson as his top wide receiver which will help make things extremely ideal for Jones. The Vikings from the skill position to even the offensive line, provide Jones with the best situation to show he is still a capable quarterback. Already knowing the system is a huge plus, as it will allow Jones the ability to keep the Vikings level of play consistent in 2025.