We are inching closer to the March 7 deadline for teams to place players on the franchise tag or not. One of the biggest names to watch is no question Daniel Jones, as the NY Giants have a tough decision on their hands. General manager Joe Schoen would love to get a multi-year deal done, but at the right price.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport thinks something will potentially get done between the two sides, but not for the $45 million that Jones and his camp reportedly are eyeing. However, Rapoport does think Jones is about to land a major payday.
"I would expect the Daniel Jones deal to come in at less than what has been reported"@RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/FNTVlA3fDZ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 27, 2023
Will the NY Giants and Daniel Jones agree to a long-term deal?
"“I wouldn’t be surprised if it came in and the number started with a four,” Rapoport said on the Pat McAfee Show. “The market for quarterbacks is either $40 (million) and above or other. It’s the good ones who are your franchise quarterback or it’s the – with all due respect – the others.”"
It wouldn’t be a stunner if Jones indeed came to the Giants with $45 million in mind, but it could have just been a negotiating tactic. Danny Dimes likely knew he wouldn’t get that much, hoping the G-Men and Schoen would come in with something a little bit lower than that, but not in the $27-$32 million that Boomer Esiason mentioned.
At the end of the day, there’s still some time for Schoen and Jones to try and meet somewhere in the middle. It really does feel like a sweet spot would be around $38 million a season. If Jones is hoping for at least $40 million, then Schoen could have a bit of a problem on his hands.
If all else fails, the Giants can use the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jones, which would result in him making $32.4 million next season – the cap hit would be that same number, though. Schoen wants to avoid this from happening.
Jones may need to drop his number if he wants to help the team out. From that clip of Rapoport describing things, it feels like a new contract will eventually get done.
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