The Minnesota Vikings built 2025 around the idea that J.J. McCarthy would be good enough, cheap enough and healthy enough to justify moving on from both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones.
Through 12 games, Jones has thrown for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 101.3 passer rating, ranking top-five in passing yards and seventh in QBR. He has the Colts at 8–4 and in the thick of the AFC playoff race, even while playing through a fractured fibula.
Thus, twelve games in, that bet looks pretty darn bad.
While Darnold inked a multi-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, Jones is slated to be a free agent. While the odds of the Colts letting him walk are very slim, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports still named the Vikings a landing spot for Jones in 2026.
“The Colts signaled their intentions to build around this rejuvenated version of Jones when they spent big on other spots at the trade deadline, but how Jones finishes could determine his long-term fate, not so dissimilar to Sam Darnold of last year; despite cruising for much of his lone season with the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold’s flat finish all but bought his exit,” Benjamin wrote on December 3.
Minnesota Vikings Named Top Fit for QB Daniel Jones in 2026 Free Agency
GettyDaniel Jones of the Indianapolis Colts could be a free agent target for the Minnesota Vikings in 2026.
Jones was released by the New York Giants in November 2024, and he finished the season on Minnesota’s practice squad before hitting free agency. The Colts signed him to a one-year, $14 million deal and an open competition with Anthony Richardson. Jones won it easily, and has been very good under Shane Steichen.
After letting Darnold walk following a 4,319-yard, 35-touchdown Pro Bowl season in 2024, the Vikings turned the keys over to McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick. The second-year quarterback has battled a torn meniscus, a high ankle sprain and a concussion, and when he has played, the results have been rough. So far this season, McCarthy has 929 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has completed just 54% of his passes, going 2-4 in his six starts.
If Jones reaches free agency next year, considering his familiarity with Kevin O’Connell’s system and his success this year, he could certainly be a target for Minnesota. He’d walk into an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson instead of having to carry a thin receiver room the way he often did in New York.
Barring a Huge Surprise, Indy Probably Won’t Let Jones Go
The Vikings should absolutely be in on Jones if he reaches free agency, but only on a deal that pays him like an upper-middle-tier starter.
James Boyd of The Athletic has noted the franchise tag could be the best option for Indianapolis where Jones is concerned. According to Over The Cap, the 2026 QB franchise tag will cost teams just over $46 million. It’s a huge fiscal hit, but Jones has been a tad inconsistent of late, and he’s also battling through injury issues, so signing him to a huge or long-term deal doesn’t seem likely as of now. That said, he’s done enough to warrant an offer from the Colts. What that offer is will determine whether or not he hits free agency.
Minnesota already let one resurgent veteran walk and watched him thrive somewhere else. If Jones hits the market — and that’s a huge “if,” as the Colts love him — Minnesota should absolutely be interested. But right now, it’s a long shot at best.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Vikings Predicted to Reunite With Former QB Amid J.J. McCarthy’s Struggles appeared first on Heavy Sports.