The Minnesota Vikings have seemingly decided upon their quarterback situation going into this upcoming season in 2025.
The team has reportedly passed on the opportunity to add Aaron Rodgers, and is instead focused on adding an experienced backup to provide insurance for/mentor the young JJ McCarthy.
One of the players the Vikings were supposedly interested in to fill that role behind McCarthy was none other than last season’s mid-season addition, Daniel Jones.
Yet Jones, who was cut last season by the New York Giants coming off of a disastrous 4 year, $160 million deal signed in 2023, decided instead to sign with the Indianapolis Colts for $14 million last week.
And whilst fans and Colts writers were not exactly thrilled at the addition, nor the price tag it came with, there are some in the media who believe it was actually a very shrewd move.
Daniel Jones Signing Believed To Be Best Budget Deal Of The Offseason
National NFL reporter, Lindsey Thiry, named Indy’s recruitment of the former Giant her “bargain signing of free agency”, via ESPN.
“The Colts signing quarterback Daniel Jones. The sixth overall pick in 2019, Jones arrives in Indianapolis with the expectation that he will challenge third-year pro Anthony Richardson for the starting role”, Thiry notes, “Coming out of Minnesota, where he spent part of last season on the practice squad after his release from the Giants, coaches and teammates said Jones impressed on and off the field. In Indy on a one-year, $14 million deal, he could either prove himself as a starter or inspire improved play from Richardson.”
In fact, Thiry was not alone in her opinion of the deal, despite multiple voices to the contrary.
The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke, via The Sporting News also believes that Colts made a sneakily smart move in bringing the former #6 overall pick this offseason.
“The Indianapolis Colts gave Jones a one-year, $14 million deal to compete with their former first-round QB, who has struggled with consistency and staying healthy”, Brooke writes, “Jones is a big-bodied, mobile QB who can do a lot of the same things that Richardson can, even if he doesn’t have the rocket arm strength.”
“His struggles in New York were brutal, but Jones now gets a real shot at competing for a starting spot, which is a win-win for the Colts. Either Jones has a resurgent second act in Indianapolis, or his presence pushes Richardson to reach his full potential.”
Did The Vikings Make A Mistake In Not Re-Signing Jones?
It is widely documented that the team wanted Jones back to serve as QB2 to McCarthy for next season, however the $14 million price tag may have been too steep for a team that made numerous financial commitments this offseason.
The Vikings added interior offensive linemen, Ryan Kelly and Will Fries; defensive linemen, Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen; and corner, Isaiah Rodgers.
They also made big commitments in re-signing nickel corner, Byron Murphy Jr., Aaron Jones, and bringing back long-time safety, Harrison Smith for one more year.
So $14 million for a backup QB could well have just been unaffordable for a team who very much feels like they are in a win-now phase; currently coming off a 14-win season, and now with a quarterback on a rookie deal.
And even if the Vikings did match the Colts’ offer, perhaps Jones wanted an opportunity to potentially start next season, which considering the volatile nature of Indianapolis QB, Anthony Richardson’s play last season, could well become a reality.
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