1. QB Daniel Jones
Alas, we couldn’t have this debate without the man who carries a monstrous cap hit in 2024, the quarterback of the Giants. After inking a gigantic contract before last season, it’s the former Duke star who’s the top candidate.
Jones’ contract was structured in a fascinating way, and the Giants have an out after this coming season. However, that’s after the quarterback’s $47 million and change cap hit in 2024. If Jones isn’t going to be able to play at his full potential in 2024, the Giants could and will likely look to move on, especially if they draft a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Perhaps the Giants could look to kick the can down the road a bit with Jones’ money. They’d already owe him $23 million in 2025 regardless if they cut him as part of their dead cap. Or, maybe they could come up with a way to add some incentives to Jones’ deal for 2024. There certainly needs to be talk of it in Schoen’s meetings.
Some extra dough could go a long way towards building a team around Jones, which would be to his benefit. While the former first-rounder proved he can be a positive and help the team win in 2022, it’s become evident he needs more help than the front office thought last offseason. He’s not Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow. He can’t carry the team on his back, at least not consistently, against good teams. That’s fine, most quarterbacks aren’t, but that’s how he’s being paid at the moment.
Time will tell what the Giants decide to do about Jones’ contract, plus the contracts of Lawrence, Thomas and Okereke, but it’s evident they need to adjust their course in 2024. Restructuring some deals would go a long way towards making that an easier task.