Realistic expectations for the Giants in 2022

The last chance for some high-profile players

2022 could be the last season for both quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley will be entering the fifth and final year of his contract.

Jones will be going into his fourth year and it is still unclear if the Giants will pick up his option.

The Giants could use this year as one final chance for the coaching staff, front office, and players. The front office has already committed to Head Coach Joe Judge for at least one more season. General Manager Dave Gettleman could potentially be on the hot seat and so could some of the other high-profile decision-makers within the organization.

Looking at the duo of Jones and Barkley, the Giants have mortgaged their future on these two players. And to this point, they haven’t lived up to the expectations.

Jones is still plagued by some of the problems that have hurt him since day one. There is also the issue of his neck injury, which is still being kept under wraps as the severity is still unknown. He also hasn’t taken the third-year leap that many people around the NFL thought he would. While the flashes have been there, Jones hasn’t done enough yet for the Giants to fully commit to him being the QB1 for the future. One more chance in 2022 could be what Jones needs. A final opportunity to decide if the Giants choose to keep him around for the long-term.

There are also still questions around running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley’s first two seasons in the NFL had many people thinking that he could be one of the league’s top backs. And there is still potential for that. But over the past two seasons, he has been plagued by injuries. This has made his future in New York cloudy at least. The Giants will have to choose if they are willing to give him a big-time deal, much like the Carolina Panthers were forced to do with Christian McCaffrey.