Whatever the reasons, it just isn't working for Kyler Murray as the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback right now. Murray's struggles, as the Vikings sit at 6-1 after a Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions, have brought ideas about a quarterback change.
Is it time to start Carson Wentz? What about a trade for Kirk Cousins? With the Las Vegas Raiders at 4-4 and in the playoff hunt at the relative halfway point of the season, let's say bringing Cousins back before the trade deadline isn't happening.
Good quarterbacks, let alone anyone who can be impactful upon joining a new team midseason, are almost never available at the trade deadline. So even if there is motivation to unseat Murray with a trade, and another team will entertain trading someone, the list of viable options is short, and that’s a key reason why Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones shouldn’t be on that list.
Minnesota Vikings could pursue a trade for Daniel Jones to solve their quarterback problem
Will Ragatz of Bring Me The Sports has Jones atop his list of five quarterbacks the Vikings could trade for, tabbing him as the most likely of the bunch to be acquired.
Broadly, Jones makes sense. He spent time on the Vikings' practice squad late in the 2024 season, after the New York Giants released him, and by all accounts he made a positive impression despite never playing.
The Vikings also wanted to keep Jones as they moved to McCarthy as their starting quarterback in 2025, but he saw a prime opportunity to start in Indianapolis and took it.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has quickly become the driver of the Jones-Vikings reunion bandwagon.
"At a time when the Vikings are believed to be talking to the Colts about a potential trade for running back Jonathan Taylor, they should adjust their focal point, just a bit."
"The Vikings should be talking to the Colts about a potential trade for quarterback Daniel Jones."
Since general manager Nolan Teasley was not with the Vikings in 2024, he'd be leaning on head coach Kevin O'Connell, the coaching staff and perhaps players who were around to offer what their experience behind the scenes with Jones was. As mentioned, the sentiment is likely to be positive all-around.
While the fact that it's even a remotely credible thought says it all, Florio then stretched the Jones-to-the-Vikings plot too far.
"In Minnesota, Jones would be an immediate upgrade over Kyler Murray."
"The difference between Jones vs. Murray could be more significant than the difference between Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones/Jordan Mason. Which, if accurate, would result in a bigger overall bump to the offense."
Reunion with Daniel Jones is the worst idea for Vikings to upgrade over Kyler Murray
After a nice start last season that was derailed by a torn Achilles, Jones has once again turned back into a pumpkin this season. He has completed 60 percent of his passes so far, with five touchdowns and nine interceptions, and a passer rating (68.7) worse than J.J. McCarthy's was last season.
Despite his struggles, Murray has still been better than Jones in every measurable way this season. The "Jones would be an immediate upgrade" idea disappears with a simple look at the stats, but Florio apparently couldn't do that research.
The vibe change the Vikings' offense seems to need may come only from a different quarterback. Jones is hardly a needle mover in that regard, though, and his performance has never consistently elevated offenses on its own.
Jones' contract isn't the albatross it may seem at a glance. The Colts gave him half the reported $88 million over two years via a signing bonus, with a low base salary this year and the ability to part ways early in the 2027 league year with no further commitment.
If a quarterback change is on the table for the Vikings, Jones is a convenient potential option. But convenience is not a good enough reason to trade for him, especially when everything else says he would be no better, and likely worse, than Murray has been.
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