Giants legend's 'gut says no' to potential Russell Wilson deal

Tiki Barber was among those who doubted Rich Eisen's belief that the Giants are "absolutely done" with Daniel Jones and have "buyer's remorse" regarding the four-year contract the quarterback signed last March. 

Barber sang a different tune on Friday after it was learned that the Giants had what was described as "an exploratory meeting" with veteran Russell Wilson.

"There is one thing you can take from this: The Giants are done with Daniel Jones," Barber said during Friday's WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program, as Ryan Chichester of Audacy shared. "You don’t take a meeting with Russell Wilson unless you’re already ready to move on from Daniel Jones. [Jones is] gonna be here because he has a $40M salary, and the cap hit would be exorbitant to absorb. But it’s clear that the Giants are moving on from Daniel Jones. Whether it’s next year or this year, it’s happening." 

The Giants can and seemingly will escape Jones' contract next offseason, partly because his worrisome injury history and his undeniable rushing skills make him a liability. He's missed nine games since the start of the 2021 season because of neck issues, and he went down with a torn ACL on Nov. 5. 

It's worth noting that Wilson's signing with the Giants is not guaranteed for multiple reasons. He flew to visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday and reportedly "is being advised to sign with the" Las Vegas Raiders. Additionally, Cecil Lammey of the Denver Sports website wrote that Wilson "does not consider himself a 'bridge' quarterback" and "wants his next team to commit to him." 

Many expect the Giants will spend a first-round draft pick on Jones' eventual replacement this spring. 

Barber added that his "gut says no" to a potential Giants-Wilson marriage. The club is coming off a 6-11 season and is letting star running back Saquon Barkley test free agency when the new league year opens this coming Wednesday. 

Either way, Jones may have taken his final snap as New York's full-time QB1 much earlier than some thought.