The Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback room features a trio of former first-round draft picks. There is starter Sam Darnold, injured rookie No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, and Vikings practice squad member QB Daniel Jones, formerly of the New York Giants.
Jones is the newest member of the group. Less than one month removed from being a Giant, he still has ties to the team.
The free-agent-to-be turned heads with a “class” gesture for his former protectors.
“Daniel Jones with a class move,” ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan reported on X on December 20. “He may not be the Giants QB anymore but … he sent all the offensive linemen who were on the roster with him a limited edition bottle of Clase Azul.
“Jones was benched and released by the Giants last month. He’s on the Vikings practice squad.”
Bottles of Clase Azul can retail anywhere from just over $100 to thousands of dollars depending on the type of tequila and the vendor.
Jones’ future with the Vikings remains uncertain but he has already been paid handsomely.
He signed a four-year, $160 million contract in 2023 and has earned $108.1 million in his career, per Over The Cap. The Giants incurred a $69.3 million dead cap charge spread over two seasons. The $47.1 million hit in 2024 is the second-largest single-season cap hit in NFL history.
Only Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson’s $53 million charge, part of an $85 million penalty on the Denver Broncos’ books, is greater.
Former Teammate Expects Daniel Jones to Fill Sam Darnold Role for Vikings in 2025
As unlikely as it may seem, Darnold’s gesture could make for a smooth landing were he to return to his former stomping grounds. It is more likely that Darnold, a former New York Jet, returns to the Big Apple than Jones.
However, former Jones’ former Giants teammate and veteran offensive lineman Justin Pugh believes Jones is primed to assume the role Darnold was supposed to have this season.
“I don’t know where Sam Darnold ends up, he could be back with the Jets,” Pugh told Sportscasting’s DJ Siddiqi in an interview published on December 12. “The Jets are going to get a quarterback probably next year. He could come to the Giants.
“You signed Daniel Jones to almost fill the role that Sam Darnold was going to fill before the year started. He can go out there and he’s been a starting quarterback in the NFL. He knows the system, but J.J. McCarthy is going to be the starter for the Minnesota Vikings. People forget how good J.J. McCarthy looked in the preseason.”
Darnold has been QB1 since arriving in Minnesota.
However, there was growing optimism about McCarthy’s readiness before he tore his meniscus in the preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders in August. He underwent surgery, ending his season, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert on December 16.
J.J. McCarthy Could Have Big Impact on Daniel Jones’ Future
Darnold has played well. But Darnold has also had rough patches. It is fair to wonder if Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell would have switched QBs this season if McCarthy was healthy.
There remains a path for Jones to emulate Darnold’s 2024 regular season arc with the Vikings too. McCarthy underwent a second procedure on the knee in November.
He remains on track to open training camp healthy.
But the time off the field has put him back a year despite the Vikings’ efforts to keep him involved. That could make Jones (or even Darnold) a frontrunner should the rookie hit a wall or suffer any setbacks in his recovery.
At worst, Jones can be a formerly highly-touted backup. 50 QBs have started at least one game this season. Of the league’s 32 teams, 14 have used multiple QBs, including the Giants.
