Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones arrived at the Minnesota Vikings' facility – the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minn. – on Friday with a fresh attitude after being signed to their practice squad on Wednesday.
Jones, who was released by New York at his request last Friday, was in high spirits and smiled several times, something he rarely did in a Giants uniform.
QB Daniel Jones on his 2022 playoff win in Minnesota:
“I like US Bank Stadium.”
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— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage)
“The last few weeks have been crazy, but at the end of the day I'm excited, this is a great opportunity,” Jones said via Matthew Coller of The purple insider.
When asked why he signed with the Vikings, DJ cited coaching, particularly head coach Kevin O'Connell, who has been a fan of Jones for years.
“I'm trying to make the best decision possible and I felt like that was the case here with Coach O'Connell,” Jones said. “What they did on offense. I think the system, Coach O'Connell and his staff. There’s just a lot of good things happening.”
Unlike the Giants, where nothing goes right. They are 2-10 and are on track to get the first overall pick in the draft. The Vikings are 9-2 heading into the NFC playoffs, another reason Jones decided to sign there.
Jones is currently on the practice squad and could move up at any time, but there appears to be a logjam between him and starter Sam Darnold, and backups Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien are also waiting in the wings.
Jones knows he has some homework to do before he can carve out a prominent role.
“It’s up to me to stay current, take time outside of meetings and practice to learn it. That’s what I’m going to do,” he said.
The Vikings understand that despite Darnold having his best season as a pro, he only played 13 games in a season. This is Week 13. They viewed Jones as an insurance policy, at least for the rest of this year.
Minnesota drafted JJ McCarthy out of Michigan in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft (10th overall), but he suffered a torn meniscus in the season opener and is out for the season.
McCarthy may not be ready for next season, but the Vikes now have one of the NFL's best quarterback rooms in Jones should he stay.
