The New York Giants went to the 2023 NFL Combine hoping to make significant progress on a new multi-year contract with quarterback Daniel Jones. Instead, the front office will return from Indianapolis facing a difficult choice with only days left to make a decision.
When the offseason began, general manager Joe Schoen had a plan for the franchise. New York expected Jones to want a long-term deal worth less than $40 million per season. It was a price the organization was willing to meet, thus opening up the franchise tag for Saquon Barkley.
- Daniel Jones stats 2022: 92.5 QB rating, 15-5 TD-INT, 67.2% completion, 60.8 QBR
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Together, the two moves would’ve allowed Schoen to retain the Giants’ best playmakers and two of the biggest reasons why the franchise ended its playoff drought. However, the plan unraveled after Jones fired his agent and his contract demands soared past $40 million per season.
Despite the reported asking price, the Giants still went to the combine with the hope that a deal with Jones could be worked out. Following days of negotiations, there is now extreme doubt and an increasing likelihood of New York losing one of its biggest stars.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Giants and Jones’ representatives expect to leave the combine on Sunday without a resolution on a contract. The two sides are far apart, with an important decision looming for the front office.
The NFL franchise tag deadline is on March 7, leaving New York with very little time to make a difficult call. While the organization wants to retain both Jones and Barkley, the most viable path to making that happen was using the franchise tag on Barkley and signing Jones to a multi-year deal in early March.
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Now, a resolution in contract talks with Jones is unlikely to happen. Quartebrack is the most important position in sports, putting the Giants in a situation where they’ll likely have to use the franchise tag on Jones.
It immediately wipes out more than $30 million in cap space, with the one-year tag fully guaranteed. As a result, New York must either agree to meet Barkley’s asking price in negotiations. Based on recent reporting, the gap between the two sides is too far apart for a deal to be reached.
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It means Barkley immediately becomes one of the top NFL free agents. With Josh Jacobs receiving the franchise tag from the Las Vegas Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings prepared to keep Dalvin Cook, Barkley is the best running back available and another team will likely offer him more than the Giants.