If it had not been for the Lions’ 11-game winning streak, the Vikings could have been the one reigning at the top of the NFC North. In a closely contested division, they had to fight till the end on Sunday to get their 10th win of the season. Well, it all boils down to Sam Darnold, who has been a revelation this season. His second-half performance against the Cardinals was the reason the Vikings are still in a head-to-head tussle with the Lions to clinch their division.

After trailing the game until the final minute of the fourth quarter, it was Darnold’s vision that helped the Vikings clinch the victory from the Cardinals’ grasp. His 5-yard TD pass to Aaron Jones meant the Vikings finally had their first lead in dying moments. And they eventually managed to hold onto that lead to close out the game in Minnesota. While the Vikings could be on their way to the playoffs, Darnold’s future still remains up in the air.

Sharing his thoughts post-game, the Vikings QB possibly sent a strong message to the people upstairs, “There’s no other place I’d rather play. Just so grateful to be a Viking.” Well, after the signing of Daniel Jones for a contract of $375,000 until the end of this season, there is some strong speculation on whether the Vikings will keep Darnold at the club.

When they signed him for a $10M contract, nobody really thought that Darnold would be a huge hit in Minnesota. The Vikings always had rookie QB J.J. McCarthy in their eyes as the future of this franchise. However, his torn meniscus before the season even started led to Darnold getting the nod as a starter. And boy, he has stepped up to the role he didn’t even have in the beginning. After 11 starts in purple and gold, Darnold is almost averaging 247 passing yards per game. With a 67.6% pass completion average on his throws, the sky remains the limit for Darnold this season.

But Daniel Jones’ sudden arrival in Minnesota and him hitting free agency next season are leading the Vikings to a difficult position. They now have a QB who is trying to turn his career around while a rookie who could come back any time in 2025. And then there is Sam Darnold, whose market valuation keeps going higher because of the way the Vikings are playing this season.

Will Daniel Jones take over Sam Darnold’s position sometime in the future?

Although Jones has been made the scapegoat of the Giants in their historically poor season, they haven’t really improved since he left New York. Tommy DeVito, who was supposed to lead the Giants in place of Jones, has also found his position compromised. Only starting once for G-Men against the Bucs, DeVito saw himself leapfrogged by Drew Lock in the offense. And guess what? They still haven’t managed to win a single game. Instead, they are officially out of the playoff picture. So there goes the Giants.

As for Jones, he is elated to leave the sinking ship behind to start fresh in Minessota, “Excited to be here. Excited to be a Minnesota Viking. Awesome opportunity. Just looking to help out and be a part of this team. Got great momentum going and just want to help out in any way I can.” But for now, it seems like the Vikings don’t really need the help of Jones in the offense. Just look at their record: 10-2 with one foot into the playoffs.

Even their head coach, Kevin O’Connell, isn’t thinking about making any changes, “I don’t think we need to think about that at this time. I’m just excited to get him here. I think there are short-term and long-term conversations that are going on at every position on our roster.” Well, O’Connell wanted to let Darnold know that his position isn’t under threat with Jones joining the practice squads. “Before Daniel Jones agreed to join the practice squad this week. This has nothing to do with you[Darnold] short or long-term,” the HC said as per NFL insider Tom Pelissero.

So, for now, it seems the Vikings aren’t really focusing on what happens to Darnold with Jones joining them. But they do need to make a decision sooner or later. Because neither of the two would like to play as a backup next season.