The Minnesota Vikings, briefly, had Daniel Jones in purple and gold.
The New York Giants released Jones midway through the 2024 season, and the Vikings brought him aboard.
Minnesota didn't necessarily expect Jones to play. They already had one reclamation project, Sam Darnold, playing out of his mind with J.J. McCarthy on the mend from his knee injury.
But it was a chance for the Vikings to get eyes on Jones, and for Jones to see how the Vikings had turned around Darnold's career.
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Now, in 2025, Jones is the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and is playing the best football of his career.
The Vikings are in a bit of a QB mess, with McCarthy hurt again and Carson Wentz trying to make up for his absence.
Minnesota, in some ways, could really use Jones right now.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler revealed in a new story Wednesday that at least some of the folks he's spoken with in Minnesota feel that way, too.
"I know the Vikings were bummed to lose Jones -- who has ideal size and a ton of tools -- in the offseason after his short stint there," Fowler wrote.
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Even if Jones had stuck around, it seems probable that the Vikings would've had McCarthy as their starting quarterback to begin the season.
But there's clearly a lot of reason to like Jones, and maybe Minnesota should've done more to keep him on their side.
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