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Sam Darnold has rightfully earned his place atop the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback totem pole. Still, as the team evaluates the present and future of the position, the Vikings signed Daniel Jones to their practice squad.
Jones will be learning under Darnold as he tries to revamp his NFL career. In turn, Darnold is excited for the knowledge and experience Jones will bring to Minnesota, via Pro Football Talk.
“Signing DJ today, very happy to be teammates with him,” Darnold said. “Spent some time with him in the past. Great guy. He's played a lot of football, so just to be able to draw from his experience in certain things is going to help this football team.”
Jones comes to the Vikings after spending the first six years of his NFL career with the New York Giants. He went 24-44-1 as a starter, throwing for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. The buck ran out for him during the 2024 season, where he went just 2-8 as a starter. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
But if Jones wants to turn things around, Sam Darnold will be an excellent teacher. He knows what it's like to be a heralded first-round quarterback and not pan out. Darnold also knows how to rebound, and become a starting QB once again.
Darnold has led the Vikings to a 9-2 record in 2o24. He is completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,717 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Darnold has already surpassed his career touchdown pass total and reached a new career-high in wins. If the season were to end, his completion percentage would also be a career-high.
But Darnold is set to be a free agent after the season, which is where Daniel Jones comes back in. As he learns Minnesota's system, perhaps he will eventually be Darnold's replacement if he decides to depart.
However, for now, they both have the same goal. Darnold will be on the field hoping to lead the Vikings to greatness. Jones will be patiently waiting and ready if his number ever gets called.
