The Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones reached an agreement on a four-year, $160 million contract extension last week ahead of the start of free agency, but it was not without some heavy negotiating on both sides.
Sources told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that Jones’s agents worked with A.J. Stevens, a former cap expert for the Buccaneers, to help get their client an average annual value that they believed suited his skillset.
Ultimately, Stevens and Jones’s representatives sent a $47 million per year proposal to the Giants on Feb. 21, which would have paid Jones more per year than Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes.
The $47 million per year figure was $12 million more than the offer the Giants made at the outset of $35 million annually. The team’s knee jerk reaction to the proposal from Jones’s representatives was reportedly “We’re really gonna pay DJ more than Patrick Mahomes?”
The Giants and Jones settled on a $40 million per year salary, which is just $5 million per year less than Mahomes, who signed a monstrous 10-year, $450 million contract in the summer of 2020.
Now it’s time for Jones to earn his keep. The Giants quarterback enjoyed a career year under new coach Brian Daboll, throwing for 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns to just five interceptions on a 67.2% completion percentage. Jones also added 708 yards rushing and seven scores on the ground as he led New York to a playoff appearance.
