The New York Giants face a choice familiar to other rudderless NFL teams in recent years, as they ponder the cost of maintaining the status quo at quarterback.
Giants starter Daniel Jones has struggled this season, and the Giants (2-8) took their fifth straight loss in Munich, Germany, on Sunday. His poor performance against the shaky Carolina Panthers—New York went scoreless in the first half against the league’s worst defense—capped a rough first 10 games.
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Now, the team must decide whether to end the Jones era that has resulted in one playoff win in the last six years. Giants head coach Brian Daboll is considering benching him—and Jones’ contract could offer a rationale beyond his on-field play.
Jones currently has an injury guarantee clause in his contract that if triggered will force the Giants to pay him $23 million next year. He’s the latest quarterback to experience this kind of dance after Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos) went through it last year. The Raiders also sat Derek Carr (now with the Saints) two years ago when the playoffs were out of reach to avoid triggering a clause that would have paid him $33 million guaranteed.
“When you can negotiate an injury guarantee in a contract, it should be a feather in your cap, but in fact it can be used as a weapon against you, and Daniel Jones is an example of that,” NFL agent Brad Blank said in an interview. “If he had no injury guarantee, then maybe they would just leave him out there.”
No decision has been made on Jones’ future, though his lack of first-team quarterback reps in practice Tuesday suggested the team is seriously considering a potential switch to backup Drew Lock. Giants senior vice president and general manager Joe Schoen downplayed the practice structure and told reporters Jones’ contract language won’t factor into whatever decision is made.
“It will be a football decision,” he said on Tuesday. “Any decision we make moving forward as we evaluate the roster and what we’re doing for the final seven games will be football decisions.”
New York benched Jones during a 28-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 20. Daboll remained supportive of Jones after the Week 7 loss despite the temporary demotion, but his tune has changed since. With his own job in peril, the third-year coach has sounded noncommittal when asked about Jones in the starter role moving forward.
Jones, who has thrown eight touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension last year. There is no more guaranteed money beyond this year, but that would change if he is unable to pass a physical in March after the 2025 league year begins due to an injury sustained this season. It’s not uncommon for quarterbacks, usually among the team’s highest paid players, to have such injury stipulations in their contracts.
“If a guy is slated to make big money, and he’s not going to be in the future then they’re probably going to sit him down if he has a March bonus coming,” Roc Nation co-head of football and NFL agent John Thornton said in an interview. “That’s what (injury guarantees) are for, to put a trigger in so if they have no plans to bring him back, then the player and the team can get out of it.”
The Giants will absorb $22 million in dead money if they cut him this offseason, an outcome that is becoming more and more likely, especially with a star-studded 2025 QB draft class.
New York is on a bye week and will look to snap the losing streak on Nov. 24 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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