Daniel Jones Colts theories buzzing around NFL after injury, with Vikings turnaround

Uncertainty surrounding NFL rumors on JJ McCarthy Minnesota faces some unpleasantness quarterback questions, and Daniel Jones continues to appear in the rumor mill as a possible safety net.

With McCarthy concussed, struggling, and Max Brosmer ready to make his first NFL start, this season is already starting to feel like an extended audition for everyone in the room rather than an actual playoff.

On ESPN, Dan Graziano described how Jones’ Achilles tear could reshape the landscapestarting with the team that already has it. One scenario he’s heard from league sources is that Jones simply re-signs with the Colts on a short contract, rehabs at home with coaches who know he can run their system, and retires when he’s cleared.

It could be another one-year deal or a two-year structure with big incentives that only really pays off if he goes all the way back. Another theory is a return to Minnesota, where Jones finished last season as Sam Darnold’s backup.

The Vikings staff loved him even then, but they couldn’t promise a starting job, and bringing him back as a rehab project and competition for McCarthy would fit that mold. What almost everyone agrees on, according to Graziano, is that talks of a big, long-term extension are on the back burner after another season-ending injury.

He’s even heard that a franchise or transition tag for 2026, projected between roughly $39 million and $46 million, is “not off the table,” with both sides likely needing a creative deal that gives Jones more than a one-year rental, given how late the Achilles tear came.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated posed the same dilemma in starker terms, pointing out that marking Jones at that level would effectively triple his current salary and give him the leverage for a $50 million-a-year contract if he recovers.

For the Vikings, all of this means that any gathering of Jones would almost certainly come with caveats. If he ever hits the market, Minnesota makes sense as a suitor who already knows him and is in dire need of a competent veteran to push McCarthy.

But given how thin this free agent quarterback class is and how much the Colts still respect Jones, a more realistic outcome is for his rehabilitation and future to be decided in Indianapolis while the Vikings weigh whether to pursue the same “veteran challenger” plan with someone else.