If Daniel Jones is going to be the quarterback of the future for the New York Giants, he’s going to have to prove himself in a big way in 2022. According to a report from NFL.com, the Giants will not pick up the fifth-year option on Jones’ contract.
The option had an estimated value of around $22 million, which, under the new league rules, would have been fully guaranteed. Instead, Jones will head into the final year of his rookie contract, which means if the Giants want to retain him beyond the 2022 season, they will have to do so with the franchise tag or a new deal.
Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has started 37 games in three seasons, compiling a 12-25 record while completing 62.8% of his passes at an average of 6.6 yards per attempt and throwing for 45 touchdowns against 29 interceptions. He has yet to establish himself as an above-average player at any aspect of the quarterback position with the exception of the ability to make plays outside of structure, but his willingness to try to make those plays has also played a role in his penchant for turnovers.
The Giants own the Nos. 5 and 7 overall picks on Thursday night, but it seems unlikely that they’ll use one of those selections on a quarterback. New York has plenty of other needs on both sides of the ball, and the draft is considered to have a weak quarterback class. The Giants are probably more likely to let Jones play out this season and attempt to prove himself, then go shopping for a quarterback next offseason, in a draft class that is looking far more enticing, if he can’t take a step forward.
New York’s new management team and coaching staff is not the same as the one that selected Jones in the first place, and while they will surely attempt to do the best they can to put him in position to succeed, they are just not as committed to him as the previous brain trust would have been. Therefore, it’s not a surprise to see them refuse to guarantee him a large sum of money for the 2023 season when he has yet to prove himself as a starting-caliber player at the league’s most important position.
