Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones

Saturday, August 17, 3:28 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold won't be active for Saturday's preseason showdown with the Cleveland Browns. Instead, No. 2 signal-caller Nick Mullens will get the start. With J.J. McCarthy (knee) out for the season, Darnold is now atop the Vikings depth chart. The 27-year-old spent his first six seasons in the league with the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers. However, he never met expectations, throwing for 12,064 yards, 63 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions while completing just 59.7% of his throws. While McCarthy could still eventually earn the starting job in Minnesota, Darnold has a chance to turn things around this season, especially with Justin Jefferson on the roster, arguably the top wideout in the National Football League.

Thursday, September 12, 1:32 PM

If New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones can't get right and improve on his dreadful Week 1 performance against the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 2 divisional matchup against the Washington Commanders, ESPN's Dan Graziano thinks he's in real trouble. Anything short of improvement will place Jones' contractual future squarely into the spotlight. The four-year, $160 million contract that Jones signed before last season only included two years of fully guaranteed money. So if the Giants released him after this season, they'd have $22.21 million in dead money against their salary cap, although they wouldn't have to pay him the $78 million in salary and bonuses he's currently scheduled to earn over the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The bottom line is Jones has looked bad since the 2022 season, and the more he continues to struggle, the more people will be clamoring for backup Drew Lock.