Insider floats idea of Vikings reuniting with injured Daniel Jones in 2026

Could Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles injury result in him ending up back in Minnesota this offseason? It seems rather unlikely, but it is a possibility being talked about by league insiders.

ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler recently wrote about the fallout of Jones' injury and what the future holds for a guy who was having a huge resurgent year with the Colts. Considering the time of year when the injury happened, it's likely Jones misses nearly all of the 2026 season as he recovers from the Achilles tear. So, where does the 28-year-old pending free agent QB go next season as he recovers? That's where the Vikings come in, according to Graziano.

"It would make sense for him to go back to Minnesota, where he finished last season as Sam Darnold's backup, and rehab there with a staff that knows him and wanted to retain him but couldn't guarantee him the starting job this past offseason," wrote Graziano.

Several months ago, when there was hype about what J.J. McCarthy could do in the Vikings' offense, this theory wouldn't have made sense. However, with how the 2025 season has played out, and how up-and-down McCarthy has been in his first year, there is a slight shred of reasoning that could make this idea make sense.

Sunday's blowout win over Washington functioned as a sort of reset for McCarthy. He wasn't asked to do too much, and what he was asked to do, he did well enough to steer the Vikings to a 31-0 win over a hapless Commanders team. However, because Washington is such a bad team this year, there still remain questions about how sustainable the performance was. McCarthy has four games left this season to prove that he can in fact be relied upon in the future.

Even if McCarthy finishes strong, the thinking is that Minnesota will target a veteran QB this offseason to come in and provide some competition at the position. Jones wouldn't necessarily be that guy because of the injury recovery. He could, however, come in and operate as a veteran sounding board for McCarthy in the QB room, one who knows the offense after having spent the back end of the 2024 season in the Vikings' building after being let go by the Giants.

The tricky part of the equation is that Jones would likely be looking for a two-year deal, with one year for recovery and the second for a chance to play. That is where Jones would be betting on the possibility that McCarthy, with a second season of play under his belt, still hasn't fully proven himself and the Vikings go back to the drawing board at the position.

It's all still hypothetical, but Jones could offer the Vikings another option at the position this offseason when they're looking for veteran help. He previously rehabbed his career with a short stint in Minnesota, and before the Achilles injury on Sunday, that seemed to be leading to a big-money deal. Could Jones look to Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings as he rehabs and builds himself back up again?

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