As one former New York quarterback thrives in Minnesota, another stands on the sidelines now in a position he never thought he would be in after being drafted sixth overall in 2019.
Daniel Jones' time with the New York Giants ended unceremoniously when he was released after a 2-8 start this season, leaving him to find a new home in the NFL for the first time in six years.
Weighing his options, Jones decided to take the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad quarterback role, calling it an "awesome opportunity" to work with head coach Kevin O'Connell and starter Sam Darnold, the ex-New York Jet whose career has been revitalized this season.
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Could that be what Jones is looking for with the Vikings after watching Darnold regain his confidence and lead a team to an 11-2 record?
Vikings legend Kyle Rudolph, an ex-teammate of Jones' during their year together with the Giants, said that could be the plan after spending time with Jones two weekends ago before, during and after the team's win over the Arizona Cardinals.
"He’s excited to be in that environment in Minnesota," Rudolph told Fox News Digital while also touching on his surprise at two Minnesota military veterans after teaming up with Polaris and Call of Duty in Week 13. "To be around Kevin O’Connell, Josh McCown, the quarterbacks coach, to be able to kind of take a back seat and learn and really try to reestablish himself as a top-10 pick. A good quarterback in this league and a guy who, by the way, won a playoff game in that building and went to the divisional round."
Jones broke out in that 2022 season that Rudolph referenced, which included the Wild Card Round victory on the road at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Kirk Cousins-led Vikings. It ultimately led to a decision from the Giants to extend Jones long term, believing he had proved himself worthy of a new contract to remain the team's franchise quarterback.
That didn't work out, however, as the Giants released him this season before they had the opportunity to opt out of his deal. Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley, who was franchise-tagged after Jones got his big deal, is having an MVP season with the Philadelphia Eagles in his first year after walking in free agency.
But while the Giants stew over their next quarterback amid a terrible campaign, Jones perhaps has found new life in Minnesota.
"What’s to keep DJ from being next year’s Baker Mayfield [or] Sam Darnold?" Rudolph said.
"It’s a huge reason why he chose to go to Minnesota, knowing that there might be an opportunity for me in the future."
For Darnold, he signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Vikings this past offseason, knowing it would be a quarterback competition with rookie J.J. McCarthy, the team's first-rounder out of Michigan. But when McCarthy went down with a knee injury, Darnold knew he needed to step up for the Vikings all season, not just Week 1 when he won the starting job out of training camp.
He's done just that with an 11-2 record through 13 games while putting up career numbers. Remember, this is a quarterback who flopped as the third overall pick with the New York Jets, couldn't stick with the Carolina Panthers and was in the same role Jones is now with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Meanwhile, Mayfield was also in Carolina with Darnold after his tenure as the first overall pick and hopeful savior of the Cleveland Browns flamed out. Mayfield bounced around the NFL until the Bucs gave him a similar deal in 2023 that Darnold has now. Mayfield not only proved he could win in Tampa Bay – he beat the Eagles in the Wild Card Round on his home turf, solidifying his role as the team's franchise quarterback – he got a three-year, $100 million extension to show for it.
Rudolph said Darnold has earned that big extension with more games still to play, and Jones could do the same with the Vikings, a team Rudolph doesn't think would want to spend big bucks on Darnold, knowing that McCarthy is waiting in the wings.
"In today’s world, these young quarterbacks don’t have to play in their first two years," Rudolph said. "J.J.’s going through what he’s going through with his knee injury, and ultimately, yes, they’ll compete if DJ decides to stay there next year. He has a great opportunity to go out, and it just takes one year."
For now, though, Rudolph knows Jones is itching to get back on the field, but he's playing his role well in his first few weeks with Minnesota.
"I think the biggest challenge for DJ is he’s always been the man. He was the sixth overall pick and quarterback for the New York Giants," Rudolph said. "This past Sunday, he watched the game from the sidelines as the practice squad quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. That’s not easy. As a competitor, I know talking to him, he was like, ‘Man, I just felt useless standing there basically watching a game.’ It’s part of the process."
GIVING BACK TO VETERANS
Rudolph got to watch Darnold & Co. collect their Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the Twin Cities, where he also surprised two Minnesota veterans with Polaris RZR Pro R vehicles during the Dec. 1 Salute to Service game.
Rudolph leveraged his fundraising platform, Alltroo, and teamed up with Polaris and Call of Duty for this special surprise.
"Two Minnesota native Marine Corps gentlemen, they almost felt like they were undeserving of such an incredible honor because they’re like, ‘There’s so many others who have done what I’ve done and deserve it more than I do.’ They couldn’t believe that they were the two who were chosen to receive these Polaris RZRs," Rudolph said.
The veterans also played the brand-new "Call of Duty Black Ops 6" video game with Vikings defenders Pat Jones II and Ivan Pace Jr.
And through March 1, 2025, Rudolph said football fans can enter at Alltroo for a chance to win a Polaris RZR Pro R through donations that benefit Call of Duty Endowment, a program that helps place veterans in high-quality careers and supports veteran well-being.
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