The New York Giants just can’t seem to break away from Daniel Jones and that contract, can they?
Earlier this week, a Bleacher Report article named Jones’ four-year, $160 million extension the fourth worst contract in sports since 2020. Jones’ contract was compared to other familiar NFL failures like Deshaun Watson’s contract with the Cleveland Browns in 2021, Kirk Cousins’ landmark deal with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason, and Russell Wilson‘s recording-breaking contract with the Denver Broncos in 2022.
The article pointed to Jones’ inability to stay on the field. He missed over half of 2023 with neck and knee injuries and his poor performance when he did play. Since his playoff win against the Vikings in 2022, Jones only led the Giants to 20 points on three different occasions with a woeful 2-8 record. There was one point in the 2024 season where he had thrown more interception returns for touchdowns than passing touchdowns at home.
Did Daniel Jones Deserve an Extension?
The contract itself raised eyes during the 2023 offseason. The Giants were coming off their first playoff appearance since 2016 and their first playoff win since Super Bowl 46. However, they faced a crossroads as a franchise. Both Jones and Saquon Barkley were due for extensions. Barkley, who is now leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl and an MVP finalist, begrudgingly signed a one-year prove deal that opted slightly better for him than the franchise tag. Barkley certainly would not have the season he’s having if he were in New York, so suffice to say he got the better end of the divorce.
As for Jones? He set the standard for bottom-end starters. Jones had never flashed enough as a passer to be a franchise quarterback, but the Giants gambled that the best from Jones was still in front of him after 2022. While he did not play a snap for the Vikings after signing in November, he probably won’t complain too much about a guaranteed $35.5 million salary, either.
Pundits, fans, and critics from around the league questioned Schoen’s decision to give a quarterback without much pedigree a contract with such security as opposed to forcing him to prove it again on the franchise tag.
For comparison, Sam Darnold’s 2024 season outmatched Jones’ 2022 in every major category. There’s no indication that the Vikings, or anyone else, are willing to pay Darnold a sizable contract. Hindsight may be 20/20, but three years later it looks like Joe Schoen and the Giants put themselves in a corner with Jones. To truly understand what his value was after 2022, they should have let him test the open market and match the offer.
Giants in Quarterback Hell
Now, the quarterback-hell-ridden Giants are spiraling with critical staff members on the hot seat in what’s regarded as a mediocre quarterback draft.
Three months after his release from the Giants, Jones’ name is still synonymous with the team’s struggles this decade. Are the Giants in quarterback hell? Or have they been in quarterback hell since drafting Jones in 2019 and they never wanted to admit it?
Whatever the future holds, the twenties have been more boring than roaring for Big Blue and Jones’ tenure captures the team’s consistent- inconsistency.
Main Photo: Chris Pedota/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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