Vikings' Updated Depth Chart, NFL Salary Cap After Rumored Daniel Jones Contract

The Minnesota Vikings have added former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones to their quarterback room.

Jones will likely compete with Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien to back up Sam Darnold after losing his starting job in New York. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport indicated that he plans to join Rypien on the Vikings practice squad.

The Vikings headed into Wednesday with just over $7.8 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jones and the Vikings agreed to a $375,000 deal for the remainder of the 2024 season.

He will earn a maximum of $100,800 if he remains on the Vikings practice squad for the rest of the season, per Spotrac.

Schefter noted that Jones could leave the Vikings to join another team "if another starting quarterback went down in the next three weeks."

Rypien, who previously served as a third-string option in Denver and Los Angeles, has yet to make an NFL appearance in 2024.

The Vikings initially looked like they might need some quarterback help when Darnold took a hard hit in the fourth quarter of Sunday's road game against the Chicago Bears and limped off the field.

Mullens stepped in for two plays before Darnold returned. He said after the game that he just had to "walk off" the injury.

The Vikings gave up an 11-point lead in the final two minutes of regulation, but Darnold went 6-for-6 for 90 yards in overtime to lead Minnesota to victory.

The win improved Darnold's record to 9-2 while making all 11 starts for the Vikings so far this season. Heading into Week 13 he ranks top five among NFL quarterbacks with both 21 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Last weekend's overtime win over the Bears seemed to cement Darnold's position as the Vikings starter. If he is not be able to play in the future, however, the Vikings could choose to call up Jones instead of Rypien should a QB3 be needed.

The Vikings will risk losing the former Giants starter should they keep him on the practice squad, just like the Bears lost Rypien ahead of the 2024 season. Previously a Chicago third-stringer, Rypien left the organization to join the Vikings despite the Bears' apparent hope to bring him back (as mentioned on HBO's Hard Knocks.)

Jones is still set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season, Schefter noted.

That sets up the Vikings to remain one of the least cap-restricted teams heading into the offseason. Minnesota is currently projected to rank seventh in the NFL with more than $75 million in cap space heading into the 2025 season, per Over the Cap.