Minnesota Vikings Mac Jones trade proposal, Digi Mart USA News: The Minnesota Vikings have little choice but to trade for a quarterback after Carson Wentz struggled against the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football” in Week 9. One option is to replicate a move that worked two years ago, when the team signed Sam Darnold in free agency.
Darnold rebuilt his confidence and value by playing behind Brock Purdy for the San Francisco 49ers. He came to Minnesota on a one-year deal worth $10 million, led the team to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth, and earned the first Pro Bowl honors of his career.
Minnesota did not have to trade for Darnold in 2024, but the situation is different with current 49ers backup Mac Jones.
The article argues that the potential cost of a Day 2 pick in 2027 is worth serious consideration after Minnesota’s second consecutive loss. It also says Wentz has not proven to be the answer, and that Kyler Murray, whom the Vikings signed to a one-year deal at the league minimum, has not solved the problem either.
The Cardinals still owed Murray approximately $36 million in 2026.
Jones has appeared in just two games for the 49ers this season and has not thrown a pass, because Purdy has been healthy. Last season, however, while Purdy dealt with injuries, Jones completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions across 11 games, including eight starts (5-3).
He is in the second season of a two-year, $8.4 million contract and becomes a free agent next spring unless he signs an extension elsewhere. He has earned $23.4 million over his six-year career.
The article notes it may be difficult for the Vikings to justify trading a second- or third-round pick for Jones on a half-year rental. Still, he is likely to be a meaningful upgrade over both Murray and Wentz, and could give a team with a strong defense and special teams unit a chance to compete in what Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently suggested might be the best division in NFL history.
Jones would make more sense as a costly trade acquisition if the Vikings immediately signed him to a one-year extension at a value similar to the $10 million Minnesota paid Darnold two years ago. That would solidify the quarterback room for 2027 with a veteran who has had recent success, and would allow Minnesota to consider drafting a quarterback late in Round 1 next April in what should still be a relatively deep class.
The article also reviews other options. The Baltimore Ravens could move on from Lamar Jackson in the offseason, but he is out with an injury for several weeks.
The Los Angeles Chargers are unlikely to trade Khalil Mack despite an 0-8 record, and Justin Herbert is dealing with a potential fracture on his non-throwing hand. The Indianapolis Colts do not intend to trade Daniel Jones, who is in the first year of a two-year, $88 million contract and is coming off an Achilles injury.
Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders could require a first-round pick on a half-year rental, which the article calls an unreasonable price given his age of 38. Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns and Dillon Gabriel have shown little in their pro careers.
The article concludes that the Vikings clearly need a quarterback upgrade, and that Jones, a strong-armed, pocket-centric passer who has worked in Kevin O’Connell’s offense before, may be the best available option because he would not cost a first-round pick and might sign a reasonable one-year extension. This is a publisher analysis and has not been independently verified.
