Through the first four years of his NFL career, Daniel Jones did absolutely nothing to make people think he was a starting-caliber quarterback. Yet, the New York Giants continued to roll with him.
Other than an epic scramble that ended disastrously and went viral right away, Jones hadn’t exactly made the highlight reels, and the team didn’t even pick up his option for his fifth year.
But the Giants’ patience paid off when Brian Daboll left the Buffalo Bills to be their new Head Coach. He brought the best out of Jones during a contract year, and he finally looked decent.
Daniel Jones Wanted Almost $50 Million Per Year
The Giants eventually overpaid to keep Jones because there weren’t many ways to get better at that position. However, Dan Duggan of The Athletic recently revealed that he wanted even more money per year:
“I expected Jones’ asking price to be sky high, using the $46 million per year deal signed by Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray last year as a comp,” reported Duggan. “But Jones went higher, seeking $47 million per year.”
“With negotiations coming down to the franchise tag deadline in March, Jones was able to reach the $40 million per year mark with a four-year, $160 million deal,” Duggan added. “The key for the Giants is an escape hatch after 2024: The team can dump Jones after two seasons to create $21.5 million in cap savings with $18 million in dead money.”
Those financial aspirations were as hilarious as they were delusional. The Giants even sorted the deal out in a way they can get rid of him if he doesn’t improve, so they were never going to give him that much money.
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There’s still a chance Jones continues this upward trend with Daboll in command, but just a handful of QBs are worthy of that kind of money, even in today’s market.