Top In-Season Landing Spots For Daniel Jones

For all the criticism about how the Giants handled QB Daniel Jones over the course of his career — all the different coaching staffs, failing to put a competent offensive line in front of him, etc — in the end they did right by Jones and cut him after he was benched. New York will try to find its quarterback of the future this offseason but Jones can turn the page right away. 

Jones will clear the waiver wire because no team will want to assume responsibility for his remaining salary, but once he does the former Duke star will apparently have a healthy market. Nearly double-digit teams have expressed interest in adding Jones to their roster, including some who would be interested in him as a starter. Jones will have options as he decides the best course to chart for the next step in his career. 

He has a well-worn path to follow. In recent years, we’ve seen several veteran quarterbacks who the league largely dismissed as busts find new life to their careers on new teams. Seahawks QB Geno Smith, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield, former Titans QB Ryan Tannehill and Vikings QB Sam Darnold are some of the most prominent examples of this archetype. All of them share a few common threads:

• They started their careers viewed as potential quarterbacks of the future. All but Smith were first-round picks. 
• Things ended poorly with their original teams and they were traded or otherwise sent packing. 
• Not all of these players found success immediately but they eventually landed with an offensive play-caller who was able to bring out their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Empowered and supported, these players started having success on the field and their confidence grew, leading to more success. 

Jones will be looking to add his name to this list. There are teams Jones could sign with where he could probably take over as the starter quickly, like the Raiders who just lost QB Gardner Minshew to a shoulder injury. But it could serve him more to take a break rather than being thrown right back into a tough situation on the field and this time without knowing the playbook as well. Even if it means being a third-stringer or practice squad player, there are benefits to Jones signing with a contending team with an established offensive coaching staff. 

The Panthers cut Mayfield during the 2022 season and he latched on with the Rams, an experience which he cited as invaluable to his success the following year when he signed with Tampa Bay even though it was only for a couple of months. Los Angeles got something out of the arrangement too because Mayfield counted in the compensatory pick formula, just like Jones will. 

Here are some potential landing spots for Jones, some of which have been mentioned in recent buzz: 

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota has come up as an early leader in the running for Jones, and it all comes back to HC Kevin O’Connell. A former backup in the league, O’Connell has quickly established a reputation as a true quarterback whisperer in an age where many are quick to claim the title. He’s pulled the best out of two veteran quarterbacks in Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold over the past few years and has helped the Vikings avoid a painful rebuild and remain a factor in the division. 

With both Cousins and Darnold, it’s clear both have the utmost confidence and trust in what O’Connell is doing. He’s brought a refreshing approach to how the position is coached, and everything he does from both a leadership and a schematic approach is catered to creating the best support system possible for his quarterback. Working with a coach like that would be a dream for Jones at this point in his career, battered and broken from how things ended in New York. 

The Vikings could use Jones as well. The veteran would be a significant upgrade over backup QB Nick Mullens from a talent perspective. We saw last year when O’Connell cycled through several quarterbacks when Cousins tore his Achilles that he can design a gameplan for a new passer on short notice, so the knowledge gap between Mullens and Jones is less relevant. If it comes down to losing Darnold for a key game in December or January, Jones could be a relevant factor in the Vikings’ playoff hopes. 

Miami Dolphins

When Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel took the head coaching job in 2022, his top priority was rebuilding QB Tua Tagovailoa who was battered and beaten down in the aftermath of former Dolphins HC Brian Flores’ tenure. Miami jettisoned Flores instead of Tagovailoa, but it was clear the coach believed his top priority was re-establishing Tagovailoa’s confidence, and then building a system that he could thrive in. 

Jones is in a similar place in his career and McDaniel could have a positive influence on him as well. The former No. 6 overall pick is a tough player but people close to him have acknowledged the way the Giants openly tried to replace him this offseason was tough to handle. Confidence is a massive and underrated factor in how players perform, and from the beginning of camp it was clear Jones wasn’t playing with confidence. In fact, Jones hasn’t been a confident player since his first couple of seasons in the league.  

McDaniel’s system is tailored to Tagovailoa but it’s predicated on getting the ball out quickly and decisively, which is a tool Jones could benefit from adding to his game. As far as a short-term apprenticeship with eyes on learning skills that will pay off in the future, Miami stands out as an opportunity. 

From the Dolphins’ perspective, they saw earlier this season just how bad things could get with the other backup options on the roster outside of Tagovailoa. Jones would be a significant upgrade and prevent the season from being dead in the water if Tagovailoa were to be hurt again. Miami is just 5-6 but has won three straight and is still alive in the AFC wildcard race. 

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore is one of the other teams that has been linked to Jones. Their current backup is journeyman Josh Johnson, who hasn’t won a start since 2018 and probably would rank near the bottom of backup options leaguewide. Not only would Jones be an upgrade over Johnson, but his rushing ability would be particularly effective in Baltimore. The Ravens have whole sections of the playbook dedicated to highlighting what QB Lamar Jackson can do with his legs. They could still call all those plays with Jones under center. The final dot connecting the Ravens and Jones is that no team works the compensatory pick formula quite like Baltimore, so adding Jones would be attractive from that aspect alone for them. 

Ravens OC Todd Monken isn’t as trendy as some of the other offensive coaches around the league or highlighted in this article but he does have an established track record of tailoring the offense to the skills of his players. Baltimore is also just a top-shelf organization from top to bottom, so being a part of that in any capacity would be good for Jones. 

San Francisco 49ers

If Jones is deciding between a chance at playing time or a chance to land with an esteemed offensive mind, choosing the 49ers could possibly give him the best of both worlds. Signing in San Francisco would obviously give Jones the chance to learn under esteemed HC Kyle Shanahan, the godfather of what seems like half the offenses and coaching staffs in the league. Darnold had a stint with the 49ers last year before signing with the Vikings. 

There also might be a path to the field with the 49ers since starting QB Brock Purdy has an injury to his throwing shoulder. The 49ers have downplayed how serious the injury is but it went from being a non-issue early last week to causing him to miss this past week’s game against the Packers. San Francisco is saying Purdy shouldn’t miss significant time but the organization has not been a reliable prognosticator of injuries so far in 2024. 

Backup QB Brandon Allen would be first up, followed by third-string QB Josh Dobbs, so Jones would be joining a crowded depth chart, if the 49ers thought there was room for him at all. Still, the 49ers represent a potential chance for Jones to both have a residence program with an established offensive mastermind and get the chance for hands-on practice. 

How Does 2024 Impact 2025 For Jones?

There have been brief spurts in his career where Jones has looked competent. He made plays as a rookie even if he turned the ball over far too much. The Giants made the playoffs with Jones under center in 2022 and won a game over a 13-win Vikings team. There will be a team that thinks it can recapture that magic. 

However, there is not going to be another team ready to commit $40 million a year right off the bat. Mayfield signed a one-year deal for $4 million to compete with Kyle Trask. Smith signed for a few million to compete with Drew Lock to replace Russell Wilson in Seattle. Darnold got $8 million with the understanding he would probably eventually give way to first-round QB J.J. McCarthy. Jones will get a one-year deal in this range from a team next year and no promises other than the chance to compete. 

Last week we broke down nine teams who are trending toward being active participants in the quarterback market in 2025. Several will be in the market for Jones. 

Carolina Panthers

In our way-too-early, off-the-cuff QB landing spots, Carolina landed Jones on a short deal to compete with incumbent QB Bryce Young. The former No. 1 pick might be playing his way back into the team’s plans, however, following an impressive performance in a close loss to the Chiefs. Still, Young has mostly struggled throughout his career and Panthers HC Dave Canales has been a part of two other veteran revival success stories — as the QB coach for Smith in Seattle and the offensive coordinator for Mayfield last year in Tampa Bay. 

Jones, who is from Charlotte and went to Duke, would be a bigger, more physically skilled alternative to Young. He doesn’t play with Young’s intuitive understanding of the game but he has tools a good coach can work with. If Young falters, Jones will be one of the options Carolina considers. 

Tennessee Titans

Similar to the Panthers, the Titans have a young quarterback and a new coaching staff that’s evaluating whether the kid can be a part of the future. Tennessee didn’t invest as much in QB Will Levis as Carolina did in Young but Levis has had some struggles, most notably with turnovers. The physical talent is obvious — Levis legitimately has one of the strongest arms in the league — but until this past Sunday, the Titans had not won a game in which Levis had been their leading passer. 

It will depend on what happens the rest of the season but it’s hard to imagine the Titans will be comfortable going into next year with just Levis. There aren’t a lot of established quarterbacks set to be available this offseason, though. Signing someone like Jones could give HC Brian Callahan, an offensive-minded coach, an alternative if Levis’ development continues to stall. 

New York Jets

All things being equal, I think Jones has had enough of the New York market. But the Jets would be an option depending on how things shake out for them in the offseason. They will be hiring a new head coach and new general manager. Both QBs Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor are under contract but it’s becoming clear from multiple reports that Rodgers and the Jets will both be content to go their separate ways this offseason. Then, like every other QB-needy team, the Jets will have to figure out the best path out of a bunch of murky options. 

It’s not inconceivable that could lead them to Jones in some kind of bridge quarterback role, especially if the Jets want to do some sort of rebuild. If the new coach and GM think highly of Jones, that could also play a role. 

Los Angeles Rams

As noted last week, the Rams are in a spot where they are year-to-year with veteran QB Matthew Stafford. If they decide to pull the plug and embrace a rebuild this offseason, they’ll need a new starter. Jones could be a bridge option for the Rams the same as Darnold has been for the Vikings, whether the Rams draft a quarterback this year or not. 

Cleveland Browns

The Browns are likely to bring in competition/alternatives to QB Deshaun Watson this offseason. That could be in the draft since they’ll have a high pick and Watson’s contract will be hard to navigate around for a few more years. But Jones won’t be expensive this offseason, making him a potentially legitimate addition whether the Browns draft someone or not. 

Any team already listed

If Jones’ market as a bridge starter is cool, he could elect to extend his fellowship with whichever team he signs with or one of the other options he was interested in. In that scenario, his learning experience as a backup would just be extended from the rest of this season to all of next year before trying to hit the market in 2026. All the teams mentioned here — the Vikings, Dolphins, Ravens and 49ers — would make sense in this scenario.