The way Daniel Jones has played this year with the Indianapolis Colts has put him in a fascinating spot. His future can go in one of two directions, and both are big. The most likely outcome is the Colts locking him up with a well-earned contract extension this offseason. But if, for whatever reason, Indy decides to go a different route, Jones instantly becomes the top quarterback on the free-agent market, and plenty of teams would line up to chase him.

And as things stand, the Minnesota Vikings are rumored to pursue the 28-year-old quarterback after the 2025 season. The argument is pretty straightforward: the Vikings were never supposed to be dealing with a quarterback crisis this season. Yet here we are. Carson Wentz is out for the year. JJ McCarthy was supposed to be the future after Minnesota moved on from Sam Darnold. But through 12 weeks, he still hasn’t looked like the guy Kevin O’Connell was banking on.

Injuries sidelined him early, and even when he did play, the results weren’t close to franchise-quarterback territory. In six games, McCarthy has thrown for just 929 yards and six touchdowns while completing only 54.1% of his passes. Now he’s expected to miss Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks because he hasn’t cleared concussion protocol fast enough. With Wentz done and McCarthy likely out again, the Vikings are turning to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.

Brosmer isn’t viewed as a long-term answer, which only adds more pressure on O’Connell and confirms what Jeremy Fowler reported: Minnesota may be heading toward the Colts’ model for 2026: Sign a veteran quarterback to compete with McCarthy, just like Indy did with Daniel Jones vs. Anthony Richardson. And that’s where things get interesting.

Jones backed up Darnold in Minnesota last year and fits what O’Connell wants in a veteran QB. The Vikings like him; that much is clear. The only catch? He’s playing well enough in Indianapolis that the Colts are expected to extend him. If they don’t, Minnesota will absolutely be in the mix… but Indy might not even give them the chance.

The Colts are expected to open contract talks with Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones was a gamble, and the Colts hit the jackpot. Indy signed the 28-year-old signal caller in the offseason after he bounced around the New York Giants and the Vikings, and got him at a bargain: a One-year contract with $14 million guaranteed. It was a prove-it deal, and Jones delivered, as the QB is having the best season of his career.

And now that he’s about to become a free agent, he’s finally in a position to earn a major contract. The Colts have already made it clear they want to keep him long-term, but the negotiations won’t start until after the season. However, some folks out there aren’t sure about Jones’ long-term. And you can tell why.

The Giants once gave Jones a $160 million, four-year deal, expecting him to be their long-term guy. But the QB blew up in their face. New York then cut him last November. This is exactly why many are wondering whether this new version of Daniel Jones is real or if he is just having one good season in the right system. However, the Colts seem to need Jones more than we think.

Indy traded a couple of first-round picks and a WR in exchange for Sauce Gardner. That means the team won’t be able to draft a top-tier QB for a year or two. Hence, Jones now has leverage in contract talks. He just needs to prove it as the Colts are expected to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

As for the Colts, they’re expected to extend Jones. But if they look to avoid locking him up long-term, they can still franchise tag him. It’ll surely cost them $46.1 million, but it lets them keep Jones without committing to him long-term. How will things turn out for the quarterback? That we shall see.