Daniel Jones’ free agency moment was supposed to be his shot at a fresh start, until the Minnesota Vikings decided to crash the party. With rumors swirling about Sam Darnold potentially landing in Minnesota, one NFL analyst claims the Vikings have already complicated Jones’ next move.
Just when it seemed like Jones could reset his career, Darnold’s looming decision is casting a shadow over his market value.
How the Vikings’ QB Shuffle Derailed Daniel Jones’ Free Agency Plans
NFL analyst Chris Simms dropped the bombshell on “NFL on NBC,” claiming that Jones’ market value took a hit because of the Vikings’ quarterback shuffle.
Simms suggested that Jones could’ve been “the new Sam Darnold” for the Vikings if things had played out differently. The turning point? The team’s struggles in Week 18. Had Darnold not shown improvement, the Vikings reportedly considered pivoting to Jones for the divisional round. That’s where things get tricky for Jones.
Simms said, “Daniel Jones is fascinating to me because I think he becomes the new Sam Darnold in Minnesota when it’s all said and done. Somebody made this point to me recently, and look, I think the Vikings were indeed considering the possibility, based upon how poorly things went in Week 18.
They were considering the possibility if they managed to win the wild card game and Donald didn’t snap out of it, they might have pivoted to Jones for the divisional round.”
According to Simms, Jones’ late-season decision to leave the practice squad locked him into the roster until the first day of free agency. If he had stayed on the practice squad, he could’ve hit the market months earlier, giving him a head start on negotiating deals, setting up visits, and plotting his next move (a luxury most free agents dream of).
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The analyst added, “We reported that at the time, there was a belief [a change] could happen. Something caused Daniel Jones to give up his spot on the practice squad, which would have made him already available. He gave up very late in the game his practice squad spot and took a spot on the roster. Once the roster locked at the end of the season, he was stuck until the first day of free agency.
If he had stayed on the practice squad, Chris, if he had ended the season as a member of the practice squad, he could have already signed by now. Yeah, he would have had a two-month head start on the market, and he could have plotted it all out, negotiated taking his time, taking visits.”
Simms’ analysis highlights a harsh NFL reality: in this league, timing isn’t just important; it’s everything.