Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is seeking a big pay ahead of the 2023 season after a superb 2022 campaign that saw him put up career-highs in both passing and rushing yards.
In an NFL landscape where the monetary value for a quarterback continues to increase, Jones is reportedly seeking a new contract for more than $45 million, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. However, the problem facing New York’s signal-caller is that the Giants are seeking to pay both Jones and star running back Saquon Barkley.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported Friday that the Giants current offer to Jones is a deal anywhere between $35 million to $39 million. If Jones accepts the deal, it will allow New York the ability to use the franchise tag on Barkley.
Breer: What to Look for From the Four Likely First-Round QBs at the NFL Combine
There are only five quarterbacks in the NFL currently making at least $45 million per year—Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Bills signal-caller Josh Allen makes $43 million, a couple million shy of the $45 million threshold, while Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott both earn $40 million annually on their contracts.
New York declined Jones’s fifth-year option during the ’22 offseason, meaning that his current contract will expire this spring. Last season, Jones threw for 3,205 yards, rushed for 708 yards and scored 22 total touchdowns while recording a career-low five interceptions.
If the Giants fail to reach a deal with Jones before the start of free agency, New York still has the option to place the franchise tag on him. The league’s deadline for teams to use the franchise tag is March 7.
NFL free agency begins officially at 4 p.m. ET on March 15.
