Vikings-Rams inactives: Daniel Jones is emergency QB3 for Minnesota

Nick Mullens remains Sam Darnold's backup quarterback.
Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Newly acquired Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones walks off the field after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Newly acquired Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones walks off the field after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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Daniel Jones is the Vikings' emergency No. 3 quarterback for tonight's wild card playoff game against the Rams in Arizona. Nick Mullens remains Sam Darnold's backup.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell left open the possibility earlier this week of Jones surpassing Mullens as the team's No. 2 QB, but that's not the decision that was ultimately made. Jones, who was signed from the Vikings' practice squad to their active roster this week, won't see the field unless both Darnold and Mullens happen to get hurt.

The Vikings' other inactive players are OLB Pat Jones II, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, OL Walter Rouse, and OL Dan Feeney. Pat Jones was ruled out on Saturday for a second consecutive week due to the knee injury he suffered against the Packers in Week 17. Rodriguez, Rouse, and Feeney were healthy scratches for the vast majority of the regular season. Also out is DT Taki Taimani, who wasn't activated from injured reserve.

Cam Akers, who was listed as questionable with an illness, is good to go. He'll mix in as the No. 2 running back behind starter Aaron Jones.

These are the Rams' inactives: Emergency No. 3 QB Stetson Bennett, WR Tyler Johnson, CB Emmanuel Forbes, OLB Brennan Jackson, OL Justin Dedich, and OL Joe Noteboom. They're all healthy scratches.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. CT from State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The game will be televised on ESPN and ABC.


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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.