March 06, 2023
The deadline for NFL teams to franchise tag impending free agents is Tuesday. As that time ticks closer, organizations are going to have to make tough, quick decisions on how to handle those players' contracts. The Giants are one such team with free-agent-to-be quarterback Daniel Jones.
The Giants selected Jones with the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. They declined his fifth-year option last offseason, which they're likely kicking themselves over now, as Jones had his best season as a pro (not a high bar to clear!) in 2022, leading New York to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Jones is reportedly seeking a new contract worth north of $45 million per year, a laughable amount for a QB of Jones' caliber. If the Giants and Jones can't come to such a deal before 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, they plan to franchise tag him, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
If franchise tagged, Jones would have a salary of $32.416 million for 2023. The Giants would have until July 15 to work out a long-term extension with Jones or else he would play this upcoming season at that figure.
Eagles fans, of course, would be and should be overjoyed at this. A Jones-led Giants team will never be a true threat in the NFC East. Sure, they could scrape together a playoff berth if things break well with scheduling and injuries, but no one in Philadelphia should lose sleep over him.
The Eagles beat Jones and the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs 38-7 in January. Jones was sacked five times and had a quarterback rating of 53.8.
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