NFL Rumors: Daniel Jones to Draw Interest After Giants Release; Raiders, 49ers Linked

As Daniel Jones prepares to become a free agent for the first time in his career when he clears waivers, the veteran quarterback is expected to draw interest from multiple teams.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Las Vegas Raiders were cited by people within the NFL as a “sensible option” for Jones given their unsettled quarterback situation.

Fowler also cited the San Francisco 49ers as a “situation to watch” with Brock Purdy currently dealing with a shoulder injury.

After being benched by the New York Giants in favor of Tommy DeVito earlier this week, the club announced on Friday they had granted Jones’ request to be released following his meeting with team president John Mara.

There was an expectation that Jones was going to be released by the Giants after the season once they made the decision to bench him, but doing so now at least offers him an opportunity to work with a new coaching staff to potentially rebuild some value going into the offseason.

The Raiders have very little to lose at this point. Their 2-8 record is the second-worst in the AFC, ahead of only the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9). Gardner Minshew II has been their primary quarterback with eight starts. Aidan O’Connell has started the other two games. They have combined to throw for 2,238 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

San Francisco’s need for a quarterback will depend on how long Purdy is out of action. He has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. Brandon Allen is set to make his first start in an NFL game since the 2021 season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Purdy’s shoulder issue doesn’t appear to be serious. He had an MRI on Thursday that didn’t show anything alarming, but it could be a situation where the 49ers want some insurance just to be safe.

Fowler also listed the Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys as potential landing spots for Jones. The Jaguars have been without Trevor Lawrence due to a shoulder injury, but he could return after their bye this week.

The Cowboys didn’t even try to make a move after Dak Prescott was ruled out for the season due to a hamstring injury that required surgery, so there’s no reason to expect Jerry Jones will do something now.

Jones, who is expected to clear waivers and become a free agent on Monday, went 2-8 in 10 starts for the Giants this season. He threw for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.