This past season was enough to convince Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen that quarterback Daniel Jones was worthy of the team’s short-term future. After not picking up the fifth-year option on Jones’ rookie deal last April, Daboll and Schoen, who were only three months into their tenures after being hired in late January by team CEOs John Mara and Steve Tisch, put Jones in a show and prove situation.
He did both sufficiently enough to be signed to a new four-year deal worth $160 million with $82 million guaranteed. The 26-year-old Jones, who was plagued by high turnovers and injuries in his first three seasons, had a breakout year in 2022. He passed for 3,205 yards, completed a franchise record 67.2% of his 472 attempts, had a 92.5 pass rating, and, most significantly, had just five interceptions in 16 games played. Daboll sat him out of the regular season finale after the 9-7-1 Giants had already clinched a wild-card spot in the playoffs, their first appearance since the 2016 season. Additionally, Jones rushed for 708 yards, second on the team behind Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Jones, who will turn 26 in May, said he accepts the weight of now being ascribed a franchise quarterback relative to his contract.
“I’ve always felt that responsibility,” he said in a meeting with the media along with Schoen yesterday at the team’s facilities in East Rutherford, New Jersey. “And playing this position, especially for a team like the New York Giants and this city, you have that responsibility. And I take that very seriously. It certainly doesn’t change.
“I certainly do feel that,” Jones expanded, “and it’s my goal to earn that every day and in the offseason while we’re preparing for the season and when we get to the season, doing my best and preparing this team to win games and me to put us in a position to do that. Yeah, I take that responsibility very seriously.”
Schoen added the Giants can now continue the process of improving on last season. “We are all pleased that we were able to come to an agreement prior to today’s deadline. This gives us a greater ability to continue to build our roster.”
The Giants also placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Barkley, which will now allow them to negotiate with him up until the July 17 deadline for reaching a new deal. If no agreement is reached, Barkley will be paid $10.91 next season.