Sam Darnold is “excited” about former Giant Daniel Jones joining the Vikings

Sam Darnold is “excited” about Daniel Jones’ next NFL chapter in Minnesota.

On Wednesday, the same day it was reported that the former Giants quarterback was signing with the Vikings, the team’s current signal-caller said he was “very happy to be a teammate of Jones,” according to Big Blue last Friday was released for five and a half years. half a roller coaster season.

“I signed DJ today and I’m very happy to be a teammate with him,” Darnold said, according to Pro Football Talk. “Spent some time with him in the past. Great guy, I’m just happy to bring him here and be teammates with him. He’s played a lot of football, so having him draw on his experience on certain things will help this football team.”

Darnold and Jones played together in a cornhole tournament in February 2020.

Jones, who was demoted from the Giants’ starter to the fourth line last Monday, wanted to land with a playoff contender after his release and found a new one with the thriving 9-2 Vikings, who are currently second in a stacked NFC North At home.

“Daniel Jones wanted to spend the rest of this season with a playoff contender, surrounded by a caring head coach like Kevin O’Connell. “The Vikings have met all the qualifications,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday of the former first-round pick’s decision.

O’Connell, the Vikings’ third-year head coach, has helped revive Darnold’s career after a rocky start that began with the Jets in 2018. He moved from Carolina to San Francisco and spent the 2023 season as Brock Purdy’s backup with the Niners.

Darnold has thrown 21 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 11 games this year and has completed 67.6 percent of his passes.

O’Connell said Wednesday that Jones is expected to arrive in Minnesota Friday morning.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” O’Connell said Wednesday. “Good addition to our quarterback room. I love our quarterback room already.”

Jones, the Giants’ sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, compiled a 24-44-1 record as a starter and led the team to a surprising playoff run in 2022, including a victory over Minnesota in a wild-card game in January 2023 .

Although the Eagles topped the Giants in the divisional round that year, Jones received a four-year contract extension worth $160 million after a regular season in which he threw 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Jones, who suffered a torn ACL midway through the 2023 season, has gone 3-13 in his last 16 starts.

The former Duke product has been signed to the Vikings’ practice squad for now, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.

Nick Mullens is Minnesota’s backup, followed by Brett Rypien.

The Vikings host the Cardinals (6-5) on Sunday.