New York Giants quartebrack Daniel Jones delivered a breakout season in 2022, helping the franchise snap its playoff drought and significantly boosting the cost of his next contract. As the franchise evaluates its options this spring, placing the franchise tag on Jones seems to be the last resort.
In his first season with head coach Brian Daboll, Jones career-highs in yards per attempt (6.8), passer rating (92.5) and completion rate (67.2%). He also became a featured piece of the Giants’ rushing attack.
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The Giants finally saw the potential that made Jones the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft turning into production, coming months after they declined his fifth-year option. With Jones and running back Saquon Barkley both free agents, there are now looming questions for the Giants’ front office.
- Daniel Jones stats 2022: 92.5 QB rating, 15-5 TD-INT, 67.2% completion, 60.8 QBR
Jones is one of the top NFL free agents who could hit the open market, with multiple teams seeking a young signal-caller who could help elevate an offense. While New York could prevent Jones from testing free agency by using the exclusive franchise tag, that doesn’t seem to be an outcome the club wants to pursue.
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the Giants want to avoid tagging Jones with a strong preference to sign him to a multi-year extension. Following that path would then provide the organization with the option to tag Barkley, securing his return in 2023.
Heading into February, there hasn’t been any substantial progress in negotiations with representation for either player. However, the 2023 NFL franchise tag for quarterbacks ($32.4 million), provides Jones with a starting point for an extension.
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New York could take its chances, letting Jones test the market to see how other teams value him. The downside of the move would be a team like the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons or Las Vegas Raiders offering him a deal to become one of the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks in 2023.
However, NFL franchises might factor in the influence Daboll has on quarterbacks. Jones had an 84.3 QB rating and 45-29 TD-INT ratio in three seasons before Daboll joined the Giants. Furthermore, quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills’ offense didn’t look as sharp in 2022 following Daboll’s departure.
As of now, the expectation is Jones will be the Giants’ quarterback in 2023 with the two sides likely agreeing to a multi-year extension that covers two or three seasons. If they can’t agree to a price point, though, New York will join the growing list of teams in the quarterback market this year.
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