Daniel Jones has found his new team.
The former New York Giants quarterback is expected to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. according to the NFL Network. The move came shortly after Jones requested his release from the Giants after losing his job earlier this month.
Jones started in the league with the Giants, who selected him No. 6 out of Duke in 2019 as a potential replacement for Eli Manning. Despite being a consistent starter for the team over the past six seasons, he has struggled to find much success — especially recently, which was exacerbated when the team signed him to a four-year, $160 million contract in March 2023. the departure of running back Saquon Barkley, who is now in the middle of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
After a very solid campaign in 2022 — in which he led the team to a 9-7-1 record and the playoffs — his play has largely declined since then. Jones has thrown for 2,070 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He led the Giants to five straight losses before the team finally decided to move him in favor of third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito before their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
That made Jones the team’s third quarterback, behind backup Drew Locke, and sent him to the scout team. He read a lengthy statement that sounded like a farewell to the organization days later, before asking to be let go Friday. The team quickly complied with this request.
Jones was 22-44-1 in six seasons as the Giants’ starter and had just one winning season with the team.
“There have been some great times, but of course we all wish there were more,” Jones said in a statement before his release. “I take full responsibility for my part in not winning more. Nobody wanted to win more games more than I did, and I gave everything I had on the field and in training.”
It’s unclear what will happen to Jones after this season, or if he’ll be able to work his way back into a starting role in the league. But given the way his career has gone with the Giants, who have some very clear issues to address beyond quarterback struggles, a departure from the franchise was inevitable.
Now Jones has a chance to restart somewhere else.