Is Daniel Jones the Vikings' replacement for Sam Darnold this offseason?

Jones was recently benched by the Giants.

Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) runs off the field after winning a wild card game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

When the Vikings were thrown out as a potential future landing spot for Aaron Rodgers, were prognosticators looking at the wrong New York quarterback? Could Daniel Jones, now QB4 for the Giants, be a possible backup to J.J. McCarthy next season?

Speculation about Rodgers' future hit a fever pitch earlier this week after the Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas, which came just six weeks after they fired head coach Robert Saleh. Things appear to be tracking towards a fresh restart in New York, which would mean Rodgers is looking for a new home, should he want to play into his age 41 season.

While the A-Rodg drama was going on with the green side of New York, the blue side was benching Daniel Jones in favor of Tommy DeVito. Jones, just two years removed from signing a four-year, $160 million deal, looks to be headed out the door in the offseason.

Financially it's a move that makes sense for the Giants. According to Over The Cap, the Giants would eat a $22 million dead cap hit if they cut Jones this offseason. That seems like a lot until you realize Jones carries a $41.6 million cap hit if he's on the Giants roster next season.

For a QB the franchise has clearly decided to move on from, that's too much money so the odds of him being cut are sky-high.

Where will Jones end up next season? Let's speculate. Actually, let's let Darren Wolfson, the longtime Twin Cities sports reporter at KSTP-TV, speculate about Rodgers and Jones.

"No, I don't see any scenario where Aaron Rodgers lands here in Minnesota one year from now," Wolfson said when asked about Rodgers on SKOR North's The Mackey & Judd Show. "I will say this, if we're talking about a New York quarterback landing here, let's talk about Daniel Jones."

Unless Jones gets starting QB money as a free agent, Minnesota could be an ideal landing spot in 2025.

Former Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, now working as an analyst at CBS, talked about Jones' future earlier this week, saying, "I just don't see a spot for him as a starting quarterback next year."

"We've seen the re-emergence of guys like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, where it's taken a few stops along the way and they've gotten back into a good situation and they've had production. I think Daniel Jones is hoping for a situation like that. Be a backup for a year or two and kind of learn and maybe get an opportunity to play — and play well enough to earn a starting role," Ryan said.

With the Vikings' timeline looking like they'll slot J.J. McCarthy into the starting role in 2025, landing as the backup in Minnesota could be seen as an ideal spot for Jones.

Darnold has benefited from the tutelage of Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, and now appears to be set to cash in next offseason. If Jones wants to rehabilitate his career, coming to Minnesota as the backup, working day-in and day-out with O'Connell, could have the same effect that Darnold saw by being the backup in San Francisco for a year with Kyle Shanahan as his head coach.

With Darnold potentially exiting Minnesota after the season, the QB2 role behind McCarthy is left vacant. Jones would be an immediate upgrade over Nick Mullens in the role. If McCarthy struggles early on, the Vikings would be able to turn to an experienced player like Jones to give McCarthy more time to develop.

It's all speculation, but anything is possible when a former No. 6 overall pick is looking to hit the reset button.