NFL Analysis
11/26/24
6 min read
5 Landing Spots for Former New York Giants QB Daniel Jones
The New York Giants have moved on from veteran quarterback Daniel Jones, but there are a handful of teams likely to pursue the former first-round pick ahead of the final playoff push.
After benching Jones for Danny DeVito, the Giants released their starting quarterback, allowing him to find another team before the end of the season. The 27-year-old has clear waivers and is now free to sign with anyone, while ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that the former first-round pick is hoping to sign with a playoff contender.
While it's unlikely that Jones will see any playing time for a playoff team, barring injury, the veteran quarterback appears to be looking for a short-term situation to get a feel for a playoff organization before hitting free agency.
Here are a few teams that would make sense as landing spots for Jones, including one that isn't in the playoff picture.
Top 5 Daniel Jones Landing Spots
Baltimore Ravens 
Schefter mentioned the Baltimore Ravens as one of the top landing spots to land Jones, and the move would make some sense.
After Tyler Huntley held down the backup quarterback spot for the last few seasons, journeyman veteran Josh Johnson is the current backup behind Lamar Jackson. While he has tons of experience, he's also 38 years old with 356 pass attempts in his entire NFL career.
For reference, Jones had nearly that many pass attempts this season, throwing 341 passes in 10 games. He also has legitimate athletic ability with more than 2,000 career rushing yards, which would keep the Ravens from shrinking their playbook as much as they'd have to with another backup if Jackson were to go down.
Jackson has dealt with injuries in the past, and Jones has enough experience as a starter to be a worthy backup.
Minnesota Vikings
The other team mentioned by Schefter was the Minnesota Vikings, who have already found success in reviving one quarterback's career with Sam Darnold.
While first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy continues to recover from a torn meniscus, Darnold has led the Vikings to a 9-2 record with a solid 0.12 EPA per dropback. He's come back down to earth in recent weeks, but Darnold continues to do just enough to keep helping the Vikings win football games.
There isn't a good backup plan behind Darnold at the moment, with Nick Mullens as the current QB2. Head coach Kevin O'Connell couldn't comment publicly on if the Vikings are considering Jones but had nothing but positive things to say about the former Giants QB.
“I really can’t get into too much about any short-term or long-term," O'Connell told reporters. "I can just say that I’ve been a big fan of Daniel’s for a long time, and I hope that wherever his next step takes him, it’s a good opportunity for him.”
Kevin O'Connell's full back and forth with Kevin Seifert on the Vikings potential interest in Daniel Jones... 👀 pic.twitter.com/2UGXsomBsG
— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 26, 2024
If Jones lands in Minnesota, he'll have at least one person in the organization who believes in him.
Dallas Cowboys
Jones has reportedly only expressed interest in playoff-worthy teams, but that doesn't mean a team like the Dallas Cowboys is completely off the table.
The Cowboys are hanging in there with Cooper Rush with Dak Prescott sidelined for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. However, an upgrade is needed at the position if the Cowboys are still determined to keep fighting for a wild card spot, however unlikely. According to NFELO, Rush is 43rd out of 46 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback and 40th in success rate.
Trey Lance was supposed to be an exciting backup option for Dallas but has barely sniffed the field in Prescott's absence.
Jones would need a week or so to adjust, but the mini-bye week after the Thanksgiving game against the Giants would give him time to learn enough of the playbook to potentially start the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Even if he wants to join a playoff team, Dallas might be Jones' only realistic shot at playing again this season.
Los Angeles Chargers
From a size and athleticism standpoint, there aren't many starting quarterbacks out there that Jones matches up better with than Justin Herbert.
Both are big-bodied QBs with legitimate mobility, which would make Jones an ideal backup behind the emerging star in Herbert. The current Los Angeles Chargers starter is having a career year under offensive coordinator Greg Roman, throwing 13 touchdowns and just one interception for a career-high 99.0 passer rating.
The Chargers don't have another big-bodied quarterback behind Herbert. Veteran journeyman Taylor Heinicke has carved out an impressive career as an NFL backup, but at just 6-foot-1, he's a much different style of quarterback.
Jones would be a great stylistic fit, but he also needs to regain his confidence somewhere. Few coaches seem better at inspiring quarterbacks than Jim Harbaugh, who could be a great coach to have around for Jones before he makes his decision in free agency this offseason.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins looked completely hopeless without Tua Tagovailoa under center. Now, they're right back in the AFC playoff hunt with a 5-6 record and three straight wins.
It's not a guarantee the Dolphins get in, but their playoff chances have climbed up to 38 percent, according to The Athletic's playoff model. All of that falls apart if Tua goes down again, with Tyler Huntley and Skylar Thompson struggling to do anything offensively when given opportunities.
If something were to happen to Tua again, a legitimate former starter would be an ideal backup, and that's where Jones could be an ideal signing for the team. They only have $3.4 million in cap space, so they wouldn't be able to pay Jones much for the rest of the year. There's also no guarantee that they will even make the playoffs.
However, the situation and chance to be part of a team making an exciting late-season push (while not having to pay state income tax) could be enough to lure Jones to Miami.
