The New York Giants are mired in an abysmal season. They’re in last place in the NFC East and, at 2-8, are contending for the worst record in the entire NFL. There are several issues throughout the Giants organization, but they just got rid of one of them as they look toward the future. Days after the team benched quarterback Daniel Jones, the Giants also cut him from the roster entirely.
NFL contracts typically aren’t fully guaranteed, though in this case, the Giants will still owe Jones his full $35.5 million salary, even though he won’t be on the roster for nearly half the season.
In essence, the Giants are paying Jones to go away. And in even better news for Jones, should he sign with a new team, he’ll earn a second salary for the remainder of the season.
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The Giants drafted Jones with the sixth pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. The team was bad during his first three seasons; he never won more than five games. But in the fourth year, everything changed.
Jones, who had some impressive moments throughout his career, put together his most complete season in 2022. He posted career-highs in completions (317), pass attempts (472), passing yards (3,205), rushing yards (708), and rushing touchdowns (7).
He also did that while limiting turnovers—he threw five interceptions and lost five fumbles, averaging only half of a turnover per game. Compare that to his rookie year of 23 total turnovers (including a whopping 11 lost fumbles) in just 12 games, and it looked like he was heading in the right direction.
Even better, the Giants finished 9-7-1, good enough to earn a spot in the playoffs. They went on the road and beat the Minnesota Vikings as Jones became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards, rush for another 70, and throw two touchdown passes in a single playoff game.
The Giants were encouraged enough by Jones’s performance to give him a four-year, $160 million contract in March of 2023. Then, everything changed again.
The 2023 season started, and Jones seemed to regress. He threw for 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions—more interceptions than he threw during the entire 2022 season—in just six games before tearing his ACL and missing the rest of the year. The Giants record was 1-5 in games he started and 5-6 when he was sidelined.
This season, the Giants went 2-8 with Jones as the starter. He finished with 2,070 yards, eight passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. After he was benched, he requested his release. He wrapped up his Giants’ tenure with a 24-44-1 record and only one winning season in six years.
Again, the Giants’ problems go beyond their quarterback, though Jones’s inconsistent play wasn’t helping the cause. Now, he’s hoping to latch on with a playoff team as a backup before trying to earn a starting spot elsewhere next season.
It’s often painful when your employer lets you go, but Jones is in a pretty good situation. He’ll still earn $35.5 million this season while having the opportunity to earn even more by joining another roster.