Giants GM explains signing Daniel Jones to long-term contract

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen revealed Monday afternoon when he realized he wanted to lock quarterback Daniel Jones down via a new contract rather than the franchise tag. 

"As soon as the season was over, we know we want to go forward with Daniel as our guy," Schoen said during an appearance on the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "It was not easy by any means, and the quarterback deals are never easy...it’s big numbers, and you’re trying to come up with comps. We knew if we needed to, the franchise tag was available, but that wasn’t going to be good for any of us. Luckily, we were able to get something done." 

Schoen accepted the Giants job in January 2022 and then declined the fifth-year option attached to Jones' rookie contract the subsequent spring. 

While Jones responded to that disappointment by guiding the Giants to a playoff berth and a road postseason victory, his stats under first-year head coach Brian Daboll and first-year offensive coordinator Mike Kafka weren't exactly elite. 

ESPN shows that Jones finished this past regular season tied for sixth among eligible players with a 60.8 adjusted QBR and fifth among quarterbacks with 708 rushing yards. 

According to StatMuse, the 26-year-old led the NFL with an interception percentage of 1.1%, but he also accumulated just 15 passing touchdowns to go along with seven rushing scores. To compare, Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes led the league last season with 41 touchdowns through the air. 

Ahead of the March deadline for teams to use their franchise tags, the Giants and Jones agreed to a four-year contract reportedly worth up to $160M. One unnamed NFL executive later called that deal "wild," and NFL salary-cap expert Jason Fitzgerald said in May he "hated" the Jones contract because Fitzgerald felt that "the franchise tag is made for a player like Daniel Jones." 

Schoen instead used the non-exclusive franchise tag to hold onto running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley signed what is essentially an adjusted one-year tag in July. 

"He kept stacking week after week, good game after good game…we saw the consistency, the professionalism, how he approaches the game," Schoen added about Jones' play throughout the 2022 season. "He has the physical tools, and he’s young. That position, the lack of continuity throughout your career, that can affect you at that position. He didn’t have that. We have a very good offensive staff, and I think he was able to flourish under good coaching." 

Outlets such as Spotrac point out that Schoen theoretically could move on from the Jones contract as soon as after the 2024 season. It sounds like the executive doesn't plan to go in such a direction and truly believes he's found his franchise player at the sport's most important position.