New York Giants Could Make Stunning Daniel Jones Decision

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put together a list of superlatives for each team across the league, including suggesting the Giants will be the first team to bench their starting quarterback this season.

“This front office made a commitment to Jones after his surprising 2022 campaign,” Barnwell points out for ESPN. “But coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen also declined his fifth-year option that spring, suggesting they saw a different sort of quarterback for the Giants in the years to come. They also went out this offseason and gave Seattle backup Drew Lock a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $5 million; if you ask Seahawks GM John Schneider, Lock signed in New York because he was “sold” on the chance to compete for the starting job with Jones.

“There’s a financial element here, too, as $23 million of Jones’ $41.6 million base salary in 2025 is guaranteed for injury, which would leave the Giants on the hook for that amount if he is unable to pass a physical next offseason. That’s a legitimate worry for Schoen and Daboll, given that Jones already has been sidelined in multiple seasons by neck issues and has completed one healthy season in the five years since being drafted.”

Lock’s presence could make it easier for the Giants to move off Jones if he struggles early in the season, or, should New York fall out of contention late in the year in order to avoid paying his injury guarantee this offseason.

Even though the Giants did not draft a quarterback this spring, this could very well be a “prove it” season for Jones, given that neither Daboll nor Jones were in the building when New York selected him No. 6 overall in 2019.

Daniel Jones Returns to The Field for New York Giants

As the Giants get back on the field this spring, there is optimism that Jones will be a full-participant in training camp.

During OTA’s, according to Daboll, Jones is working in individual drills, routes against air, and seven-on-seven periods, as he continues to work his way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 9 of the 2023 season.

Given that the Giants’ offense will look dramatically different with Malik Nabers on the perimeter and Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia, getting Jones on the field with his teammates is a big step forward both in terms of his rehabilitation and giving the offense a chance to hit the ground running.