The Minnesota Vikings are turning heads once again—but not just for their stellar 2025 playoff run. Instead, they’re making waves by activating former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, a move that feels more like a calculated chess play than a football decision.
Jones, once hailed as the Giants’ franchise quarterback, has now become a strategic tool in Minnesota’s postseason playbook. After being released by New York in November, Jones signed with the Vikings’ practice squad for a modest $375,000 deal. By promoting Jones to the active roster, the Vikings are setting themselves up for a potential compensatory draft pick should he sign elsewhere in free agency.
If Jones were to help the Vikings win playoff games, that would be a bitter pill for Giants fans to swallow. The optics would be humiliating for the Giants, who benched and then released him after they sank to 2-8 and en route to a 3-14 season.
The Vikings’ move serves as a masterclass in organizational competence. By signing Jones to the practice squad, paying him a fraction of his former salary, and then activating him strategically, Minnesota has turned a failed franchise quarterback into a potential future draft pick.
Minnesota waived quarterback Brett Rypien to make room for Jones on the 53-man roster.
