It appears the NY Giants are not willing to give Daniel Jones another season to prove himself as the franchise quarterback. While Jones has been dealt a bad hand in East Rutherford, his lofty contract and inability to stay healthy have seemingly left general manager Joe Schoen with no other choice but to move on.
Because of his contract, Jones is a virtual guarantee to be on the Giants roster in 2024. That doesn't mean he'll take any snaps under center, however, even though he's expected to be recovered from ACL surgery in time for training camp.
It's no surprise Giants insiders think the team will draft a quarterback in the first round, but fans were thrown a knee-buckling curveball when Adam Schefter reported newly-minted free agent Russell Wilson visited with the G-Men before he flew to Pittsburgh for a meeting with the Steelers.
Meeting with the discarded Wilson even though Jones is under contract speaks volumes about how Schoen views the former No. 6 overall pick. This came after the Giants brought in Drake Maye for a Top 30 visit as well. While Wilson ended up signing with Pittsburgh, Josina Anderson is reporting the Giants were waiting for him to make a final decision. They clearly wanted him. What does this mean for Jones?
A photo taken of Russell Wilson at Newark after he met with the Giants and before he flew to meet the Steelers. https://t.co/zFagzOuYCH pic.twitter.com/Hrk0L7kFbF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2024
NY Giants weighing their options at quarterback is bad omen for Daniel Jones
Even though Rich Eisen heard at the NFL Combine that the Giants are "done" with Jones, it remained a strong possibility he would open 2024 as the starter. That idea obviously hinges on which QB prospect New York drafts in late April. We'll also have to wait and see if NY goes after another veteran QB now that Wilson is out of the picture.
Even if Schoen and Brian Daboll plan to have that draft pick supplant Jones mid-season, wouldn't it make sense if they didn't want to throw the next face of the franchise to the wolves by starting them right away? Jones could still start, but again, keep your eyes on other veterans, including Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett and Gardnew Minshew.
Releasing Jones even with a post-June 1 designation isn't a possibility. The team wouldn't save any money on the 2024 cap and would absorb $47 million in dead money. They could trade Jones and save $36 million (with $11 million in dead money), but what sane team would trade for him when he has no guaranteed money left after 2024? Yeah, no one would do that.