Daniel Jones Injury: Giants Can Actually Move on From QB's Contract

When the reigning conference champion plays in your division, making the playoffs can be a challenge. The New York Giants, however, have found themselves facing an even greater challenge this season.

The modern NFL is based around strong quarterback play, and Daniel Jones, the man Big Blue chose to lead them moving forward, has struggled to stay on the field. A neck injury cost him three games and then, in his return, a torn ACL ended his season.

That reality, combined with Jones' failure to step to the metaphorical next level, has prompted conversations about the Giants drafting a new quarterback.

But wait, you might be thinking, Jones is under contract through the 2026 season, and his 2024 salary is largely guaranteed. Wouldn't that prevent the club from bringing a new signal-caller into the fold?

Not necessarily. Let's break things down.

Jones' Injury Started Speculation About Future

With quarterbacks at the center of the modern NFL, the Giants are in a tough spot. Backup Tyrod Taylor is also sidelined, leaving Big Blue relying on undrafted free agent rookie Tommy DeVito and veteran Matt Barkley, whom the Giants signed to the practice squad on October 31.

Add the club's reality into the mix—New York is 2-7, and Jones has only thrown for 909 yards and two touchdowns during his limited appearances—and it's easy to see why some have turned their eyes to the future.

Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, for example, wrote a piece titled "Giants must consider drafting a QB even with $69 million Daniel Jones roadblock." On Yahoo Sports, Jori Epstein penned a story with the headline "Giants' QB outlook cloudy as Daniel Jones awaits surgery, undrafted rookie gets nod and rich 2024 draft looms." And, writing for The Athletic, Charlotte Carroll wondered "Is the Daniel Jones era over? Giants set to weigh the pros and cons of moving on."

Jones said his current focus was on rehab and doing what he could to help the team.

It's also worth noting that Big Blue will probably have a well-positioned draft pick when the big day, April 25, 2024, rolls around. Tankathon currently pegs the Giants in the fourth overall position and, without Jones, it's reasonable to assume more losses will be on the horizon.

And with the likes of Caleb Williams of USC and Drake Maye of North Carolina on the big board, it's easy to see how New York could be tempted to upgrade.

Jones' Contract Is Easier to Manage Than It Seems

Jones' contract, which he signed in March 2023, can seem like something of a roadblock. The fine print, however, makes things seem a bit more manageable.

He carries a $47.1 million cap hit in 2024, and $36 million of that is guaranteed. That makes it tough to move on. A pre-June 1 release will actually cost the G-Men more cap space, while a post-June 1 cut still leaves New York holding the $47 million bag.

After that, though, things get easier. In 2025, Jones isn't due any guaranteed salary. While $12 million of his base wages become fully guaranteed on March 15, that doesn't materially change the financials. No matter when the club cuts the quarterback ahead of the 2025 campaign, there would still be a net gain of cap space. Would Jones leave a bit of dead money behind? Yes, but that's the price of doing business in the NFL.

And while keeping a lame duck around for the 2024 season might not be ideal, there could be some benefit to that arrangement. Playing quarterback at the NFL level is tough, and no team wants to see their highly touted draft pick have his confidence crushed behind a historically bad offensive line. Perhaps Jones could start the season, allowing Williams or Maye to learn the ropes. Sitting behind Alex Smith, after all, helped Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes step seamlessly into the top job when the time arrived.

Alternatively, the roles could be flipped with the rookie starting and Jones acting as a backup. That would allow him to act as more of a mentor while remaining on hand in case things go off the rails.

Is it ideal to spend $47 million on a second-string quarterback? No, but if that money is gone either way, the Giants might as well get some use out of it.

And that's not to say that the Giants are automatically going to move on from Jones. In theory, they handed him a contract extension due to his ability to lead the team going forward. Maybe a handful of bad games in an injury-blighted season won't shake that confidence. And there is something to be said for using a high-value draft pick to select someone like Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu rather than a new quarterback. Perhaps Jones would be the player Big Blue's brass envisioned behind a better offensive line.

When your team is sitting near the bottom of the standings, though, every option has to be on the table. And given the way of the modern NFL, it's tempting to swing for the fences and select a big-name quarterback.

Jones—or his contract—shouldn't get in the way of that.