EAGAN, Minn. — Daniel Jones surveyed the field, considered his options and decided he wants to sign with the Vikings practice squad, Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Wednesday.
The signing of the quarterback is planned for Friday, O'Connell said hours after news of the decision broke Wednesday.
"Excited about the possibility of adding Daniel Jones to our organization, still kind of working through the final details on that, some roster maneuvering and things, but we're expecting, anticipating Daniel to arrive Friday morning, and very much looking forward to that good addition to our quarterbacks room," O'Connell said before reinforcing, "I love our quarterbacks room already."
There's been plenty for the former NFL QB turned coach to like about the room, and its role in helping Minnesota open the season 9-2.
Starter Sam Darnold, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, is among the top ranks in multiple stat categories and has already thrown for a career-best 21 touchdowns. Nick Mullens has stepped in and converted two third downs on passes to Aaron Jones, Sr., when Darnold has briefly left contests against the Jets and Bears.
Brett Rypien, who joined the team before the season, has been running the "look team" offense to prepare Minnesota's top-rated defense, and J.J. McCarthy is attacking his rehab and developing while observing.
"I think Sam Darnold has had a fantastic year so far. He has been everything that I personally hoped and then some when we brought him in here back in the spring," O'Connell said. "And I'm just so proud of the way he's worked, and I'm so proud of Sam for, you know, what he's been able to do coming into this building, and really take our group, to be a major force behind us being 9-2.
"Clearly a big, big fan of Nick, and I think that's on display when I call some of those plays on what it seems like Nick's only allowed to come in the game on third down and throw the ball to Aaron Jones for conversions," O'Connell added. "But it goes beyond that. He's a true pro. What he's been able to do, even last year, moving our football team and really showing the true professionalism of a guy constantly being ready to roll.
"I think Brett Rypien has done a lot of really good things since he's come in here, smart, true pro's pro, and think I gave him my third or fourth team player of the week award this morning, so he's had a positive impact," O'Connell continued. "And then clearly J.J. McCarthy, with where he was at when he did get injured, my excitement level has never been higher for J.J. and what he's going to be for this organization, and he's doing a great job right now with his rehab, really turning the corner and being a major part of quarterback meetings. And the time I get with him is always a real blessing and a great thing for me personally. So I love being around him."
O'Connell said he met individually with each of the quarterbacks before the news broke to authentically communicate the plan and what the signing of Jones to the practice squad could mean for each player. O'Connell said the Vikings are retaining each quarterback.
Jones became a free agent after his Nov. 22 release by the New York Giants, who drafted him with the No. 6 pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
O'Connell spoke with Jones Monday night as the quarterback considered his options across the league, including spots where he could have joined a 53-man roster. They renewed a relationship that began when O'Connell was an assistant in Washington evaluating that year's QB prospects. Ultimately, Jones was the second quarterback drafted behind this week's opponent, Kyler Murray (No. 1 overall), and Washington selected Dwayne Haskins at No. 15 overall as the third QB off the board. Haskins passed away in 2022.
Jones has started 69 of 70 regular-season games he's played, with the Giants going 24-44-1 under three different head coaches since Jones' rookie season.
The former Duke Blue Devil began his NFL career under former Vikings Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur and transitioned to Joe Judge for the 2020 and 2021 seasons before Brian Daboll's hire in 2022.
The 2022 Giants finished the regular season at 9-6-1, which was good enough for the No. 6 seed in the NFC Playoffs. That meant visiting the Vikings during Super Wild Card Weekend and helping drive a 31-24 upset with former Giants teammate Saquon Barkley.
Jones completed 24 of 35 passes (68.6%) for 301 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 114.1. He also rushed a whopping 17 times for 78 yards in the contest, which set up a four-year contract extension in March 2023.
The Vikings opened the 2024 season by visiting the Giants and were able to limit Jones to 22-of-42 passing for 186 yards. Minnesota intercepted him twice, including Andrew Van Ginkel's remarkable pick six, and sacked him five times.
Jones has completed 1,437 of 2,241 passes (64.1%) and thrown 70 touchdowns against 47 interceptions in regular-season games. He's also used his feet on 399 rush attempts, totaling 2,179 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
"There's really no pressure on anyone other than, 'Let's just have a really good day,' on his first day," O'Connell said. "Figure out where he needs to be for meetings, figure out where he goes to eat, spend time with his new teammates, and then we build on that the next day and the next day, and the football element and the quarterback element will, for sure, be a part of it, and it's something I look forward to."
