Daniel Jones named Colts' starting QB; Vikings stand to benefit

Jones never played a snap for Minnesota, but he could help them land a decent compensatory pick in next year's draft.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones (13) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones has been named the Week 1 starting quarterback for the Colts, beating out Anthony Richardson for that job in Indianapolis. That's good news for Minnesota.

A QB decision in Indy: Colts named Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback for their Sept. 7 regular-season opener vs. the Miami Dolphins, per @HolderStephen and me. pic.twitter.com/7PfrSu1m9I

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2025

Jones never played a snap with the Vikings, but they're set to earn a compensatory pick through the process of adding him to their roster late last season — and that comp pick would improve if Jones meets a certain playing time threshold during the 2025 season. Tuesday's news that he'll be under center to begin the campaign is a promising step in that direction.

Amid more struggles during his sixth season with the Giants, who drafted him sixth overall in 2019, Jones was benched last November and asked to be released. The Giants, less than two years after signing him to a four-year, $160 million extension, granted that request. Jones then weighed his options and decided to sign with the Vikings' practice squad at the end of November.

It was a great example of the league-wide reputation that Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings' organization have developed. Not only is the franchise viewed as one of the most player-friendly places to play in the NFL, as shown in the annual NFLPA report cards, but O'Connell has earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, especially for his work with Sam Darnold last season.

Jones came to Minnesota to learn from O'Connell and put himself in the mix to potentially return in 2025. Prior to the Vikings' first-round playoff game against the Rams, he was signed to the active roster in order to be eligible to land the Vikings a comp pick if he departed in the upcoming offseason.

And that's what ended up happening. The Vikings had some interest in bringing back Jones as a backup or bridge option alongside J.J. McCarthy, but when Jones was hesitant, Minnesota pulled its offer off the table. He chose to sign a one-year, $14 million deal with the Colts, believing he had a better path to a starting role in Indianapolis. It's hard to fault him for that decision, considering he's now won the Indianapolis job and McCarthy almost certainly would've been the Vikings' starter regardless.

It looks like this will work out for both sides. Jones is a starting QB again, while the Vikings could get an extra fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft if he holds onto that job for long enough. If he doesn't, it'll likely be a fifth-rounder. Here's what their projected comp pick chart looks like at the moment:

Vikings' projected compensatory draft picks in 2026 | overthecap.com

As an aside, it's a fascinating move from the Colts' front office and coaching staff to go with Jones over 2023 No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson, who is only 23 years old and desperately needs more reps in order to develop.

Shane Steichen on Daniel Jones: "He's the starting quarterback for the season. I don't want to have a short leash on that."

— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) August 19, 2025

For GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings, signing Jones was simply a sharp bit of roster-building process.