The proof of this is Minnesota’s current starting quarterback. Sam Darnold arrived as the bridge QB in the offseason and was well on his way to becoming rookie JJ McCarthy’s backup before McCarthy suffered a knee injury in the preseason that forced the Vikings to move forward with Darnold as the best remaining option . Since then, Darnold has done nothing but shock the rest of the football world by playing with new confidence, poise and conviction, helping the Vikings to a 9-2 record through 12 weeks.

It seems like getting Darnold back, Minnesota’s organizational success and the presence of O’Connell were enough to convince Jones that he should go there next. It’s really what the quarterback needs after spending his first six NFL seasons under New York’s microscope and struggling to find consistency in a franchise that never isolated him well enough to promote long-term development .

Jones cleared waivers on Monday after being released by the Giants last week.

Although he’s initially coming in via the practice squad, Jones will get the chance to take the backup job behind Darnold. Minnesota was reminded of its lack of quarterback quality last week when Darnold appeared to suffer an injury and was briefly replaced by Nick Mullens before his return.

Jones likely won’t seek permanent residency in Minneapolis, but he will receive residency-like training for the remainder of this season. We’ll see what happens next for the former first-rounder.