The NY Giants have had their hands full with questions surrounding Daniel Jones' 2024 season and his contract implications. However, a recent realization showed us that Big Blue could have a major problem on their hands depending on how the incoming campaign goes.
As things currently stand, the Giants will take on $22 million in dead cap space if they opt to release Jones before the 2025 season. But, depending on how things go in '24, New York could be taking on more than double that number thanks to some sneaky negotiation tactics from his agent.
The Giants could take on $47 million in dead money if Daniel Jones gets injured in 2024
That's right, according to Dan Schneier, as well as multiple other sources, the Giants will be taking on roughly $47 million in cap space in the scenario where Jones is injured and can't pass his March 2025 physical. Considering Jones' injury history, this outcome is more possible than we'd like to admit.
Daniel Jones agent worked an injury guarantee into his contact. If Jones suffers another season ending injury (would be his third in six years) and can’t pass a March 2025 physical, the Giants are on the hook for another $25M guaranteed against their 2025 salary cap space. This…
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) March 15, 2024
Currently, the Giants are set to have $53 million in cap space during the 2025 offseason. This is not set in stone, and some contract changes or roster cuts could impact this number. However, even if their spending limit goes up, $47 million will still eat up a majority of the money New York can use during free agency if the worst-case scenario arrives with Jones.
Jones has a history rich with injuries. He has missed significant time in his first five seasons, and he has also suffered multiple different season-ending injuries. With his health in question coming off a second neck injury, as well as a torn ACL, we wouldn't be shocked if the Giants find a way to limit Jones' playing time in order to keep him healthy.
This may be a little drastic, but the Giants likely don't want to continue paying Jones so much money, and if he gets hurt again, they won't be able to cut him without losing almost all of their spending money. Jones is set to have a cap hit of $41 million in '25 without his injury guarantee and that number increases to $56 million in 2026.
New York is going to be in an incredibly tricky situation if Jones gets hurt this season. If he remains healthy and continues to play poorly, Schoen will have the easy decision to release the disappointing starter. On the other hand, if Jones sustains another season-ending injury, Schoen will either have to bite the bullet and release Jones, losing a lot of their remaining cap space, or hold onto him for one more season.
Regardless of what Schoen does, we should all hope that Jones finally manages to stay healthy in 2024. This will keep things simple and guarantee the most spending money for the Giants not just in '25, but future seasons as well.