NFC North

The Minnesota Vikings' decision to sign Daniel Jones following his departure from the New York Giants may have been part of a contingency plan for the potential free agency loss of Sam Darnold.

ESPN's Adam Schefter said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show that he believes the Las Vegas Raiders plan to pursue Darnold this offseason.

"I think the Raiders are going to make a play for Sam Darnold. I think Sam Darnold's a candidate to be the Raiders' quarterback," Schefter said. "We'll see whether Minnesota lets him go or not, but let's see if that works out with Sam Darnold winding up in Vegas. And so, if he goes there, then the Vikings have to bring in another quarterback. J.J.'s obviously going to be there; J.J.'s coming along.

"And I think that was part of the reason they brought in Daniel Jones because they were kind of getting him up to speed in their system in their organization in the event that they do lose Sam Darnold."

The Vikings signed Jones to their practice squad in November and elevated him to the active roster in January. The former Giants starter has not seen game action since he was waived by New York.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

The Minnesota Vikings are facing a major decision at the quarterback position, but they can take solace knowing J.J. McCarthy's health is reportedly one less thing to worry about this offseason.

The No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft was expected to be the team's franchise quarterback, but a preseason knee injury cost him his rookie campaign and forced him to undergo a repair for his torn meniscus in August and another surgery in November.

Yet NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the Michigan product "is expected to begin football drills in the next few weeks and should be ready to roll by OTAs in May."

Given that news, all eyes will turn to the front office's decision with Sam Darnold.

Darnold was unexpectedly brilliant for the Vikings in place of McCarthy during the 2024 season and made his first career Pro Bowl while completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

However, he is scheduled for free agency this offseason.

On the one hand, signing a 27-year-old quarterback coming off that type of season to a multiyear contract would make sense. On the other hand, the 2024 campaign is an anomaly in his career to this point, as Darnold was 21-35 as a starter for the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers prior to joining the Vikings.

He also struggled mightily in Minnesota's loss to the Detroit Lions in the final regular-season game and Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs, which cut short much of the momentum he was building heading into an important offseason.

The front office could use the franchise tag on him if it doesn't want to commit the resources necessary for a long-term deal, especially with McCarthy waiting in the wings. Or it could complete a tag-and-trade and fully hand the reins over to the the 22-year-old.

After all, the Vikings drafted McCarthy when they did for a reason, and they will surely want to see what he is capable of at the NFL level sooner rather than later.

And he will have the chance to show them with a fully healthy knee heading into the 2025 campaign.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell isn't closing the door on bringing back quarterback Sam Darnold.

"Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam," O'Connell told reporters Thursday at the NFL Honors. "He is a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful. And really no matter where he was at before he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam. And what that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he's a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them [in 2024].

"So he's earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation."

Minnesota at least has some options.

ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported it is considering placing the franchise tag on the veteran, signing him to a multiyear deal or simply moving on to J.J. McCarthy, who was the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft and presumed franchise quarterback until he missed his rookie campaign with a knee injury.

Darnold seemed to be nothing more than a short-term bandaid for the McCarthy situation, given some of his struggles in previous stops, but he instead turned in a career season for the Vikings by going 14-3 as a starter and completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

It was far different from his time with the New York Jets when he went 13-25 as a starter. He also bounced around to the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers and seemed destined to be a backup as his career progressed before turning things around in Minnesota.

Yet the Darnold conversation also has to take into account his struggles in the biggest moments.

He went 18-of-41 in a 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in the final game of the regular season with the NFC's No. 1 seed hanging in the balance and then led the offense to just nine points in a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round.

It was easy to see flashes of the old Darnold in those performances, and it was also easy to speculate he cost himself significant money come free agency.

At least it seems like he didn't cost himself a chance to return to the Vikings given O'Connell's comments.

Jared Goff has a big offseason ahead of him.

The Detroit Lions quarterback and his wife, Christen, are expecting their first child this offseason, per ESPN's Jeff Darlington. The two appeared together on the red carpet ahead of NFL Honors on Thursday night.

Goff is a finalist for both the NFL MVP and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award at Thursday night's NFL Honors.

He's coming off one of the best seasons of his career, recording 4,629 passing yards and a career-high 37 touchdowns while leading the Lions to a 15-2 record. While Goff and Detroit fell short in the postseason, losing to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, it was another year of tremendous growth for the team.

Goff will have plenty of work to do this offseason to stay in shape and prepare for the grind of another season, but he'll have to balance his football responsibilities with all that comes with being a father.

Perhaps he and his wife welcoming their first child into the world will fuel another MVP-caliber season for Goff.

After Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs made comments suggesting his team needs a WR1 option, quarterback Jordan Love gave his thoughts on the Packers receiver room.

He admitted the Packers receiver room is young, but said they have receivers that can "grow into" the WR1 role.

Love said Thursday on ESPN's NFL Live:

Like you said, I think we have different guys that can play and do different things better than other guys and I think we have a deep receiver room. Obviously, like you mention Tucker Kraft, but I think we got a lot of guys that can grow into that role and I think we're still young, we're still building this thing and guys are still proving themselves. Josh made those comments and I'll always ride for my guys. I love the guys that we have. I always say if you add good players to an already good offense I think, you know, you can make it a better team.

Making an appearance on 97.3 The Game recently, Jacobs said Green Bay has talented young receivers, but the team needs someone already "proven" as a WR1.

"We've got a really young group of receivers," Jacobs said. "All can be really special, but I think personally we need a guy that's proven to be a No. 1 already. Somebody that we know is going to be a little bit more consistent."

Jacobs also alluded to former Packers receiver Davante Adams going back to Green Bay, saying he can sign with the Packers "if he comes at the right price."

Nobody in the Packers' wide receiver room established themself as the true No. 1 option this season, but Jayden Reed led the group with 857 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 55 receptions.

The 2024 season was Reed's second year in the league, and his third campaign could see him take the leap that Love believes he can.

Virginia Halas McCaskey, who was the longtime principal owner of the Chicago Bears, died at the age of 102.

The Bears announced her passing on Thursday:

McCaskey was the daughter of George Halas, who was the Hall of Fame founder of the Bears. He also coached the team on four different occasions, including during their first 10 years of existence and before they were even in the NFL as the Decatur Staleys.

"While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth," the Bears said in a statement. "She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans."

Virginia was one of George Halas' two children, and she moved into position to inherit the team when her brother, George Halas Jr., died in 1979.

She then inherited the Bears in 1983 when her father died.

Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times noted she named her husband, Ed, the team's chairman shortly after inheriting the Bears. She also named her son, Michael, the president and CEO, although she later demoted Michael in 1999 to chairman when Ted Phillips took his place.

Michael retired in 2010, and one of her other sons, George, took over the role.

Virginia represented 13 different family members and approximately 80 percent of the Bears on the NFL's board of directors.

"How that voting bloc will be affected after her death is unclear," Finley wrote. "When asked in recent years about the team's future, George has said repeatedly that his mother had a plan that would keep the team in the family after her death. The NFL mandates each team have a succession plan, though public details are vague."

Virginia Halas McCaskey was a direct line to the NFL's founding, as her father purchased the Bears in 1920 and attended a meeting that led to the founding of the American Professional Football Association that became the NFL two years later.

George Halas even brought his daughter along when he helped legitimize the sport at a professional level with a barnstorming tour with Red George following the 1925 college season. She was in attendance at the NFL's first ever championship game as well.

"It's a special feeling to be part of that Bears history, which was very significant in the survival and history of the team," she said in a previous interview, per Finley. "And for George Halas."

While she was not seen as often at games in recent years, she attended home and away Bears games late into her life.

The team won six championships with her father as the head coach and won its only Super Bowl during her tenure in the 1985 season. It also reached the Super Bowl during the 2006 season.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs would like to see the team make a significant addition to the passing game this offseason.

During an appearance on 97.3 The Game in Milwaukee, the three-time Pro Bowler said the Packers "need a guy that's proven to be a No. 1 already."

This has been a common refrain from Packers fans ever since the team traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. He's the last Green Bay player to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Even before the Adams trade, the front office's steadfast unwillingness to take a wideout in the first round of the NFL draft was a regular talking point, too. It hasn't happened since the Packers picked Javon Walker 20th overall in 2002.

Teams have consistently found value outside of the first round with Adams, the 53rd pick in 2014, an obvious example. Green Bay's investments in the draft haven't panned out, though. Neither Christian Watson nor Jayden Reed, second-rounders in 2022 and 2023, has made a breakthrough to this point.

You'd think having a star such as Jacobs publicly express his hope for reinforcements at receiver could motivate the front office to act. But hearing Aaron Rodgers grumble about his wideouts didn't force Brian Gutekunst to be more aggressive, so it's hard to see why now would be much different.

Granted, Gutekunst might already be planning to get quarterback Jordan Love some help after the 26-year-old took a small step backward in his second full year as a starter. His completion percentage (63.1). touchdown passes (25) and yards per game (225.9) were both down compared to 2023.

Especially when the Packers are projected to have $44.6 million to spend, before accounting for any cost-savings maneuvers, this could be an opportune time to splurge in free agency.

The Chicago Bears are expected to hand general manager Ryan Poles a contract extension that coincides with new head coach Ben Johnson's deal, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

"According to a team source with knowledge of the situation, Poles' deal runs through the 2026 season, and the expectation is he will receive an extension to align him with Johnson, who signed a five-year contract with Chicago, a term that is common for first-time head coaches," Cronin reported Monday.

Poles has served as the Bears' general manager since the 2022 season.

Cronin noted that Johnson, the former offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions who was hired on Jan. 20, is "believed" to be making $13 million per year on the contract he signed with Chicago.

Johnson is coming off a successful 2024 season with the Lions, as their scoring average of 33.2 points each week paced the NFL. They also ranked No. 2 in the league by recording 409.5 yards per game.

There's hope that he can help turn around a Bears team that has struggled throughout Poles' tenure, owning a 15-36 record since he was hired.

Chicago opened its 2024 campaign at 4-2, but immediately followed it up with a 10-game losing streak before ending the year with a 5-12 record. Despite the poor finish, the Bears still boast a collection of intriguing young offensive talent including quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze.

While Chicago is still searching for its first playoff appearance since 2020, Poles seems to be in line for a contract extension that ties him to Johnson entering the 2025 season.