A couple of days after the Vikings signed quarterback Daniel Jones to the active roster, they left the door open for him potentially moving up on the depth chart.

Notably, head coach Kevin O’Connell did not commit to quarterback Nick Mullens as the backup on Thursday afternoon at TCO Performance Center when the topic came up during his weekly press conference.

Asked if there was a possibility that Jones could be the backup for the Vikings heading into the playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, O’Connell replied, “We’re going to do whatever we think gives us the best chance to win.”

It was an interesting response given the fact that Mullens been the backup in every game so far this season.

As for Jones, he signed with the Vikings a month and a half ago, picking them after being granted his release by the New York Giants. He has spent time on the practice squad learning the ropes of the offense while trying to repair his image.

“He definitely has progressed,” O’Connell said. “He’s gotten a lot of really good work in, both running scout team looks, and then extra work here and there.”

Meanwhile, the Vikings also signed quarterback Brett Rypien to the practice squad, an expected move after he cleared waivers.

“He’s somebody that I think has done a phenomenal job,” O’Connell said. “We were really fired up to get him back.”

The backdrop of this whole conversation surrounding the depth chart is the fact that quarterback Sam Darnold struggled mightily last weekend when the Vikings suffered a 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions. He only completed 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards and he did not throw a touchdown.

Now it appears that Jones, not Mullens, could be a snap away from being thrust into action.

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