The New York Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones took it to the very last moment to avoid the franchise tag. General manager Joe Schoen certainly wasn’t keen on placing the tag on DJ, considering it would take up the majority of their cap space this off-season and stop them from investing in other positions.
However, the two sides came to a conclusion at the buzzer, signing Jones to a four-year deal worth $160 million, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The deal also includes $35 million in potential incentives, which helps the Giants keep the salary hit down if he struggles. The contract details haven’t been publicly released yet, notably if the deal includes an out at some point or is mainly guaranteed. Nonetheless, fans have been debating for the past week aggressively regarding a fair yearly salary.
The New York Giants are banking on Daniel Jones’s growth:
Jones is coming off a solid 2022 season, playing a career-high 16 games. He threw for a career-high 3,205 yards, enjoyed a 67.2% completion rate, 15 passing touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He also rushed for 708 yards and seven scores, combining 422 total touchdowns. The Giants are baking heavily on his improvement, bolstering the offensive line and adding receiver talent this off-season through the draft.
The Giants have already come in contact with several top receiving prospects, so the interest is clearly real. Now that the team has their quarterback locked in for the foreseeable future, they can begin building around him, likely through the draft to keep contracts low. However, quarterback money is increasing year over year, and with $46 million available this off-season, that number will likely reduce marginally, with the majority of the cap hit likely kicking in in 2024.