The New York Giants have made it clear that Daniel Jones is their franchise quarterback and their top priority for the offseason is to ensure he does not hit free agency. However, there is still the question of how they will do it and at what cost.
Jones played well this season and has done everything the team has asked of him. The issue is that quarterbacks are expensive and Jones may command a salary in the range of $40 million per season, similar to other quarterbacks in the league.
According to Spotrac, Danny Dimes’ projected market value is somewhere in the ballpark of $26.2 million.
Market Value:
3 yrs, $78,818,028
Avg. Salary: $26,272,676
The former Duke star ranked 7th in QBR this year.
To put in perspective, here are some other quarterback contracts set for 2023:
- Deshaun Watson QB CLE ,28, $54,993,000
- Dak Prescott QB DAL, 30, $49,130,000
- Ryan Tannehill QB TEN, 35, $36,600,000
- Kirk Cousins QB MIN ,35, $36,250,000
Daniel Jones had a better season than all those quarterbacks, and he beat Kirk Cousins in the playoffs.
The Giants would prefer to sign him to a long-term contract rather than use the franchise tag, but it will depend on whether they can reach an agreement on a reasonable price. Jones has expressed his love for the team and desire to stay, but he is also aware of the high salaries commanded by other quarterbacks in the league.
If the New York Giants are unable to reach a deal with Daniel Jones by March 7, the franchise tag is an option for the team. However, this option could also be needed to retain running back Saquon Barkley, who is set to be a free agent. If the Giants decide to use the franchise tag on Barkley, it would give Jones leverage in contract negotiations as the team would not want to risk losing him in the quarterback market. This would make the team more likely to meet Jones’ demands to retain him.