The New York Giants are gearing up to face off against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, a game that represents a guaranteed playoff spot if they emerge victorious. If the Giants lose, their hopes of playoff football remain alive, but their destiny begins to wind down a more difficult road.
Under the leadership of Brian Daboll as the team’s new head coach, the Giants have outplayed expectations, helping to develop quarterback Daniel Jones in his fourth season as a professional. Running back Saquon Barkley has also returned to his normal production, resembling his rookie campaign back in 2018 when he earned over 2000 all-purpose yards. For the second time in his career, he made the Pro Bowl team, currently enjoying 1597 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns.
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The New York Giants are preparing to offer Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley extensions:
In fact, both Jones and Barkley are in line for multi-year contracts, according to NFL Network reporter, Ian Rapoport. Jones is having his best season in his four-year career, considering his massive reduction in turnovers and efficiency with the football in his hands. He currently hosts 3028 passing yards, the most in his career, also contributing 13 passing touchdowns and a career-low five interceptions. His 66.5% completion rate is the highest it has ever been, also adding 617 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
It is clear that Jones has taken a big step in the right direction with better coaching and leadership. The Giants are keen on retaining him, given the options available and an expected late first-round draft pick if they make the playoffs. With that being the case, extending Jones on a reasonable contract and keeping Barkley around seems like the most probable course of action.
However, determining their worth and yearly salary will be an interesting discussion after the season concludes. The Giants will likely try to lock them up before free agency begins, allowing them to strategize a bit more efficiently. Their respective agents may prefer to test the market to see if they can get better deals elsewhere, but it seems as if both parties would prefer to stay in New York and create a winning team and culture after finally reaching the post-season for the first time since 2016.