Dianna Russini of ESPN dropped some interesting news on the NY Giants the day before the official start of the 2022 NFL Draft. Via her Twitter account, she confirmed the draft board of the Giants is all set and ready to go. She also dropped the bombshell that apparently, the leadership regime of the Giants will discuss on Thursday whether or not to pick up the fifth-year contract option of quarterback Daniel Jones.
After three seasons with Big Blue, the jury is still out on whether or not Jones can be a franchise quarterback. Yes, the Giants were spoiled with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Eli Manning for so many years but now, the reality of the situation is Jones hasn’t done much to prove he’s a suitable replacement with upside.
So far, Jones has totaled 8,398 passing yards, 796 completions out of 1,268 attempts for a 62.8 completion percentage, 45 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions. Jones is coming off another lackluster season and in the grand scheme of things, has not done enough to truly earn the Giants picking up his fifth-year option.
The NY Giants should make Daniel Jones earn a new contract extension
In this situation, it would be best for the Giants to put Jones in a position to earn himself a contract extension to be a part of the long-term future of the franchise. The truth of the matter is, with a new general manager, coaching staff, and head coach ready to turn this franchise around for the better in 2022, it remains to be seen if Jones is the definitive answer under center.
If Jones has another poor season, then the Giants should let him walk and find a new option when it comes to the most important position on the team. They can’t afford to continue giving Jones more chances if he’s not up to the task or even skill level to be a high-quality and consistent starting quarterback.
Perhaps playing in potentially a contract year will motivate Jones to play as good as he did back in 2019. Maybe it’ll help light a fire under him to improve in a very important rebuilding year for the Giants to bounce back from. Especially after their abysmal season in 2021 that saw them go 4-13 and be on the outside looking in at the very bottom of the NFC East.
Of course, even though it’s highly unlikely, the Giants do have two top-ten picks to work with (No. 5 and No. 7) and could very well draft his replacement. This is something the majority of Giants fans probably won’t want to see considering that this just isn’t a great or elite group of quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. Their main priorities should be an offensive lineman and edge rusher in Round 1, not a quarterback.
At any rate, time is ticking and at least the Giants want to finally discuss what will be the future 2023 fate of Jones as he prepares for the upcoming season ahead. It would be best to not pick up that fifth-year option, let him earn a new contract extension this year, and see where things stand next offseason.
Jones hasn’t done enough to warrant a new contract extension now so it doesn’t make sense for the Giants to commit when there is no telling what he’ll bring to the table once the regular season is here. The Giants shouldn’t be stuck with him in 2023 or beyond when there are still many unanswered questions if Jones is “the guy” that a supporting cast can be built around to contend for a championship. At the end of the day, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to committing to Jones for anything beyond 2022.