Sam Darnold earning the first Pro Bowl appearance of his career may not be enough to secure his future with the Minnesota Vikings.
Just hours after the NFL announced this season’s Pro Bowl rosters, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported that there is “mutual interest” in bringing Daniel Jones back for the 2025 season.
If the Vikings can seal a deal with Jones, they can leverage his presence in any potential contract talks with Darnold.
If the Vikings re-sign Jones to fill the Darnold role — to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job in training camp next year — Minnesota won’t be desperate to match a competing offer for Darnold with a veteran insurance policy secured.
Named to this year’s Pro Bowl, Darnold is poised to garner a competitive market as the projected No. 1 free-agent quarterback in 2025, hurting the chances of him staying in Minnesota.
The Vikings have the cap space to keep Darnold in Minnesota. However, signing him to an extension or franchise tag would restart the game of roster hole whack-a-mole they played with Kirk Cousins atop the cap sheet for years. The Vikings have 27 impending free agents this upcoming offseason that they must either re-sign or replace — ideally with quality talent.
Minnesota has several timelines available for their future at quarterback, and Wolfson’s report confirms that Jones could be central to those plans.
Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell Praises Daniel Jones Ahead of Expected Roster Move
GettyMinnesota Vikings QBs Sam Darnold #14 and Daniel Jones #13, formerly of the New York Giants.
The Vikings’ signing of Jones came with several benefits for merely offering him a spot in the locker room.
There’s the aforementioned plan to have Jones fill Darnold’s role in training camp next year if he re-signs. But even if Jones signs elsewhere, his presence on the 53-man roster would help the Vikings gain a compensatory pick for the 2026 draft.
For Jones to count in the compensatory pick formula, he must be activated to the roster after spending a month on the practice squad. That move is expected to come this week in time for the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the move and offered Jones some praise.
“We’re gonna have some dialogue about that as far as the timing of it,” O’Connell said on Monday, December 30. “Daniel’s been quietly, behind the scenes, putting in some phenomenal work.”
Vikings’ Financial Future Does Not Align With Darnold’s Payday
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with Sam Darnold #14 after a touchdown against the Chicago Bears.
While some reports and quotes can support the Vikings have interest in keeping Darnold, the same statements were made about Cousins before he reached free agency.
Under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Minnesota has seemed to have a genuine interest in retaining talent, but only at a certain price.
Darnold has made a case that he’s worth keeping, but only at a certain price.
The benefits of building a roster with an affordable quarterback have been the goal since Adofo-Mensah took over the team in 2022.
Darnold has already reaped the benefits of the Vikings moving on from Cousins despite the team paying the remainder of Cousins’ contract and a total of $65 million in dead cap. Minnesota transformed its defense overnight by adding several impact-free agents with the extra cap space.
Next year the Vikings can truly splurge, boasting the fifth-most effective cap space ($63.2 million).
But the cost of keeping Darnold could eat up at least half of that spending money. The franchise tag is worth over $41 million, and many contract projections see Darnold garnering a multi-year deal north of $30 million.
Nearly half of the Vikings roster is playing on expiring contracts, making it difficult to keep Darnold and improve the roster for next season.
Darnold deserves to test the market after transforming his career this season, and he’ll likely be met with an offer that would be irresponsible for Minnesota to match.
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