Former Duke Blue Devils star Daniel Jones could bolt the Indianapolis Colts for an NFC team in NFL free agency.
Former Duke Blue Devils quarterback Daniel Jones was one of the most pleasant surprises in football last season, nearly leading the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs before suffering a torn Achilles late in the year.
Obviously, the injury threw a massive wrench into Jones' free agency plans, as he was headed toward quite a pay day beforehand.
Jones is still expected to generate considerable interest this spring, so much so that he could ultimately leave the Colts because of it.
In fact, ESPN's Peter Schrager has reported that the Minnesota Vikings — with whom Jones spent the waning moments of 2024 — could steal the Duke product away from Indianapolis once free agency begins next week.
"The team I would watch as a possible long shot, but also one that could be angling here: the Minnesota Vikings," Schrager said on Get Up.
Daniel Jones. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.The Colts could use a transition tag on Jones, which means that another club — like the Vikings — could still come in and negotiate with Jones. Indianapolis would have a chance to match the offer, but it's possible the Colts would choose to let the 28-year-old walk at a certain point.
Jones made 13 starts in 2025, throwing for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes and posting a 100.2 passer rating. He also punched in five rushing scores.
The Charlotte native spent three seasons at Duke between 2016 and 2018 before being selected by the New York Giants with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Jones resided in the Big Apple for almost six years and showed some flashes, but was ultimately released by the Giants at the back end of the 2024 campaign. That was when he signed with the Vikings, but he never actually got on the field for them.
Minnesota's quarterback situation is up in the air with J.J. McCarthy, who has dealt with a myriad of injury issues since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2024 and did not look good when he did play this past season.
Jones could potentially step in and steal the starting job from McCarthy, but that would also require him to be healthy for 2026.
Duke Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Duke Blue Devils. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.