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Daniel Jones signs with Vikings after Giants release
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Daniel Jones signs with Vikings after Giants release

Daniel Jones has a new house.

The now former Giants quarterback signed with the Vikings less than a week after being granted his release from Big Blue after a rollercoaster of five and a half seasons.

At the very least, he will start on Minnesota’s practice squad, with Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens atop the team’s depth chart, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.

Veteran Brett Rypien was the team’s third-string quarterback.

The 27-year-old Jones was free to sign with a new team on Monday after being cleared off waivers at 4 p.m. ET.

Daniel Jones was released by the Giants in November 2024. AP

It’s been a wild week for Jones, who was initially benched for the Giants last Monday after a dismal 2-8 start. Fan favorite Tommy DeVito was then named the starter.

With the Giants also adding Tim Boyle to the practice squad, Jones was demoted to fourth-string quarterback and requested his release on Friday.

“The opportunity to play for the Giants was truly a dream come true,” Jones said in a prepared statement Thursday.

“… There have been some great times, but of course we all wish there were more of them.

The former first-round pick parted ways with the Giants last week. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“I take full responsibility for my part in not achieving more victories. No one wanted to win those games more than me. I gave it everything I had.”

Jones was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and went 22-44-1 as a starter and led the Giants to a surprise playoff run in 2022.

He was rewarded with a four-year, $160 million contract extension in the 2023 offseason.

Daniel Jones and the Giants reached the postseason during the 2022 season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The Giants still owe most of the $11.83 million remaining on Jones’ contract because he cleared waivers.

They will receive approximately $437,500 in savings because Jones’ contract includes a language offset, meaning his new team will owe him the seven-week amount of the minimum annual salary for his experience ($1.125 million).

However, if Jones gets injured while playing, the Giants won’t be on the hook for the $23 million guaranteed in his 2025 contract.

Tommy DeVito (15) was named the Giants’ starter after the benching of Daniel Jones. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The fear of triggering that clause — and raising the cost of cutting Jones after the season from a dead salary cap of $22.2 million to $45.2 million — is the reason Jones came off the bench for his play (3-13 in his last 16 starts) to the fourth-string out of practice.

Jones reportedly drew interest from non-playoff teams, where he might have seen the field sooner, but that was a wise risk not to take before free agency.

Struggling in a secondary situation around a poor selection, where he learns the offense on the fly, could have lowered his value.

Vikings QB Sam Darnold (left) and head coach Kevin O’Connell (right). Jeffrey Becker-Imagn images

Earlier this week, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said he expected there would be “a lot of interest around the league” in Jones.

“I say a lot of respect to Daniel Jones as a player and as a person,” O’Connell said. “I have been a fan of Daniel for a long time and hope that wherever his next stop takes him, it is a good opportunity for him.”

The Vikings, coached by ex-Jets quarterback Darnold, enter Week 13 at 9-2.

The Giants looked even more lost without Jones, no-showing in a 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

DeVito went 21-for-31 for 189 yards and zero touchdowns. He was also fired four times.

Jones’ former teammates, including rookie receiver Malik Nabers, called the team’s effort “soft as f–k.”