Vikings Can Add $160 Million QB at Value as Sam Darnold Replacement

The Minnesota Vikings made one of the savvier moves of last NFL offseason by locking in Sam Darnold on a one-year value contract, but it’s already time to starting thinking about how to attack the quarterback position in 2025.

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota’s rookie and N0. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft, will remain a relative unknown heading into his second campaign, as a preseason knee injury and two subsequent surgeries will sideline him for the entirety of his first. Meanwhile, Darnold has played well enough that he is likely to command good money on the free agent market, with a projected value of nearly $32.5 million annually, according to Spotrac.

Nick Mullens has proven to be a serviceable backup, but he’s also 5-15 in his career as a starter, which includes an 0-3 mark with the Vikings down the stretch last year. Beyond that, his contract is up once this season concludes.

The Vikings have no need to spend on a QB until next offseason, though the list of viable options and the value at which they can be secured are more important considerations than timing. For instance, the New York Giants released quarterback Daniel Jones on Friday, November 22, making a massive payout to move on from a signal caller that franchise signed to a $160 million extension in March of last year.

Jones will no doubt seek a starting job somewhere in the NFL heading into next season, but there may not be any such opportunities immediately available to him given his struggles over the past season and a half. And, ideally for his career, the QB would find his way onto another roster now.

Vikings Can Make 2-Year Backup QB Play by Signing Daniel Jones

GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

Minnesota makes a reasonable amount of sense as a destination for Jones considering the franchise’s situation under center.

Darnold is likely to play for another team in 2025, as he will simply be too expensive for the Vikings to justify beyond that with a healthy McCarthy on the roster. However, if Darnold were to get injured at some point down the stretch of this season, Mullens is the only backup option.

Jones can provide Minnesota with secondary security at the position, and the Vikings can almost certainly add him for the pro-rated league minimum for the remainder of the 2024 campaign. He’s going to sign somewhere, and the Vikings could use another starting-caliber signal caller.

If Minnesota can work out a deal with Jones to bring him in now and keep him through the 2025 campaign, it gives both sides some security. Jones is likely to be a backup heading into next year regardless, or at best enter training camp in competition for the top job somewhere, and the Vikings offer a good deal of potential upside to whomever ends up landing in their No. 2 QB spot.

Vikings Can Offer Daniel Jones Favorable Situation Behind J.J. McCarthy in 2025

GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy is the best bet to end up the Vikings’ starter in Week 1. However, his history of health concerns could slow down his progression to the starting job, or he could suffer an injury at some point during next season and provide an opening for Jones to showcase his talents.

Beyond that, McCarthy still has yet to take a regular season snap in the league. Even if he is healthy, Minnesota may not want to throw him into the fire in Week 1 of next season. He could also potentially fail and offer a backup like Jones an opening in that regard.

The Vikings have one of the top sets of skill-position players in the NFL. If Jones does sign there and earns an opportunity to start, Minnesota offers arguably a better situation than any other to help him rebuild his value.

And finally, with Darnold’s $10 million salary coming off the books next season, the Vikings will have only committed to McCarthy’s salary in 2025 and beyond. He inked a four-year rookie deal worth $22 million in total, so Minnesota — which also ate $62 million in dead cap hits this season due to roster turnover, but has found its way to an 8-2 record regardless — will have some money to spend next spring to fortify the position group.