There was one quarterback the Giants absolutely, positively were not going to consider as they scoured the available options in NFL free agency. This was a foregone conclusion, even though the player still is young, more than athletic enough, has no off-the-field or character issues and could be viewed as having an upside.

Those all sound like appealing qualities, but Daniel Jones never was on the Giants’ radar, not after they released him last November. They certainly were not going to bring him back to the place where he was deemed such a failure.

Jones, 28, was not on the open market for long. He had a chance to remain with the Vikings but figured the opportunity to win and secure the starting job in Minnesota was temporary, at best, with 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy getting healthy and waiting in the wings. Jones opted to sign with the Colts, who gave him nice money (a one-year deal for $14 million) to compete for the starting job with Anthony Richardson.

It was a smart move from Jones. The Vikings want to see what McCarthy — the No. 10-overall pick last year — can do. The Colts already have an idea what Richardson can and cannot do, and at this point in his development, there is more on the “cannot’’ list.