The video clips have been constant.
A couple of months ago, head coach Kevin O’Connell joined “The Pat McAfee Show” and spoke about the pivotal role a team must play in developing a young quarterback. The clip was heavily circulated on the internet.
Several weeks later, O’Connell found Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson on the field after a game and provided an uplifting message. Microphones caught the soundbite, and it, too, went viral.
.@Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell had some words of encouragement for @GVOaant ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TaXW9dFaMx
— NFL (@NFL) November 7, 2024
These might seem like one-offs, a couple of flattering snapshots of O’Connell at the right time. They’re not.
These moments capture O’Connell’s perspective on coaching the position he once played. If you aren’t empathizing and you aren’t uplifting — if you aren’t doing everything you can to give your quarterback and team the best chance — then what are you really doing?
O’Connell’s approach is not fake, either. He is self-aware enough to have admitted his perspective was shaped by his journey, his unfulfilled promise as a player. His path made him who he is as a coach, which has shaped who the Vikings have become as an organization. With a great deal of intentionality, Minnesota has built and maintained an exceptional infrastructure at quarterback, and because of that, available players with options — like Daniel Jones — see it as the optimal destination.
On Wednesday, the Vikings signed Jones, 27, to their practice squad. O’Connell spoke with the four current Vikings quarterbacks (Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Brett Rypien and J.J. McCarthy) before making the move. Jones is expected to arrive in Minnesota on Friday before the team’s Week 13 game Sunday at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
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“I got a chance to talk to (Daniel) Monday night,” O’Connell said Wednesday. “He had a lot of interest and rightly so.”
Because the New York Giants released Jones last week, and because he cleared waivers, the Vikings will only have to pay Jones a smidge over $100,000. Signing with the practice squad, as opposed to the 53-man roster, also means another team could sign Jones in the event of an injury to its starter. If he is added to the Vikings’ active roster, his price tag could increase.
For now, it feels like a sensible move for both sides because there are short- and long-term benefits for both Jones and the team.
Jones struggled this season for the 2-9 Giants. And rather than being thrust back into action in a new system and with different skill players, Jones, who is 22-44-1 as a starter, will have something that’s rare in today’s NFL: time. Jones will acclimate to an upbeat and experienced quarterback room in the coming days and weeks. Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski will assist with Jones’ transition, a process Udinski is familiar with having played a part in last year’s introduction of Josh Dobbs.
Darnold will obviously remain the starter. As for the backup spot, the Vikings believe in Mullens. He started three games last year. He has entered games and completed meaningful third downs twice already this season. Jones might be an option in the most dire situation, a serious injury to Darnold. It would be wrong to view this signing as an indication of anything in the present other than an opportunity for Jones to add insights to the quarterback room and build relationships with coaches and players.
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“The player development side and the quarterback development side are huge passions of mine,” O’Connell said. “I just love getting opportunities to work with guys. … Hopefully our system is built to help guys realize their truest potential. It’s as simple as that.”
But there may be larger ramifications, as well. Of the Vikings quarterbacks, only McCarthy is under contract for 2025. He is still recovering from surgery this fall to repair a torn meniscus. The Vikings have reiterated McCarthy’s timeline is still on track and that he should be ready to pick up where he left off this spring and summer. That doesn’t change the fact that Minnesota is still going to need another quarterback (or two) for 2025.
Signing Jones to the practice squad does not mean Darnold won’t return. That possibility (or the lack thereof) will depend on Darnold’s value, which has increased by the week. Only Josh Allen and Justin Herbert have a higher big-time throw rate this season than Darnold, according to Pro Football Focus. He is also completing a career-high 67.6 percent of his passes. His 10 interceptions might raise a red flag for some teams, but his combination of toughness and athleticism should put him in position to receive a sizable pay increase.
The primary reason the Vikings transitioned from Kirk Cousins to Darnold (and McCarthy) was the flexibility it provided from a roster-building perspective. That team-building approach remains, potentially pricing Darnold out for 2025.
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This is purely speculative, but Darnold’s departure would leave a void, and that’s where Jones presents another option. If Jones fits in seamlessly over the next couple of months, Darnold continues to excel before leaving this offseason for a massive payday and the Vikings need a quarterback for 2025, they’ll have already built a relationship with Jones who will be one of the better available options. Conversely, if Jones doesn’t fit, or if Darnold decides to come back, Jones can sign elsewhere, strengthening the Vikings’ formula for a compensatory pick.
It takes some gymnastics to find a downside here, which is why other respected teams were said to have reached out to Jones, too.
The Vikings’ pitch was not filled with PowerPoints or talking points, but it was full of examples. Privately, Cousins’ exit from Minnesota was difficult because of how much O’Connell empowered him. This spring, the Vikings were committed enough to build an infrastructure that allowed for patience for McCarthy, so they forked over $10 million for Darnold. O’Connell often shares how important it is to build genuine relationships with players, and this opportunity made that possible with Jones. The Vikings’ offer verified that the discussion point is real.
Squint and you’ll see a move emblematic of what O’Connell has established in Minnesota: a franchise focused on maximizing the most important position in the sport not for one season but for the long haul.
(Photo of Daniel Jones and Kevin O’Connell: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
