The New York Giants did anything they could to avoid the $23 million injury guarantee that former starting quarterback Daniel Jones had in his contract, including telling him to go home following his benching, per Mike Florida of Pro Football Talk:
“His first choice, we’re told, was to remain active — and to help the other quarterbacks prepare to win games. When he decided not to stay home, the Giants altered his workout program, in order to minimize if not eliminate the possibility of injury. He wasn’t going to be throwing at practice, and his lifting program was significantly restricted. All in the name of keeping him healthy,” Florio wrote.
The Giants didn’t want to risk an injury for Jones
After Jones was officially benched, the Giants dropped him to QB4 on the depth chart. He was subsequently seen playing scout safety during practice. Not too long after, he asked for his release, which the Giants granted to him.
Teams have been in similar situations with quarterbacks in the past. The Denver Broncos benched Russell Wilson before the end of the 2023 season and then was released in the offseason, and the Las Vegas Raiders benched Derek Carr for the final two games of the 2022 season and he stepped away from the team following that.
Jones now has a fresh start with the Vikings
Jones now has a fresh start elsewhere, as he recently signed to the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad after clearing waivers. In 10 games as the starting quarterback for the Giants this season, he threw eight touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 2-8 record.
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The rest of the season will feature either Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock under center. Both quarterbacks have each gotten a start since Jones’ departure and the Giants lost both games, so they currently have the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft with an NFL-worst 2-10 record.
As for the Vikings, Jones serves as insurance for quarterback Sam Darnold as Minnesota looks set to be one of the favorites in the NFC. They have a 9-2 record on the season and are second in the NFC North division.
