Daniel Jones is seeking a new contract from the New York Giants, but he may be headed for the franchise tag if reports about his salary demands are accurate.
Jones recently changed agents, switching from CAA to Athletes First. When a player parts ways with his representation during or ahead of contract negotiations, that is typically an indication that he was unhappy with how talks were going. In this instance, Jones may be hoping a new agent can get him more money.
A source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Jones is seeking a deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $45 million per year, which is more than the Giants have offered.
The Giants have options, of course. They could use the exclusive franchise tag on Jones, which would pay him around $45 million in 2023 and prevent him from negotiating with other teams.
A better option might be the non-exclusive tag. That would put Jones in line for a salary of $32 million next season, but it would allow other teams to negotiate with him. If a team signed the former Duke star to an offer sheet and the Giants chose not to match, the new team would then have to send two first-round picks to New York in addition to paying Jones. That is a deal the Giants would take but rival teams almost certainly would not have interest in.
If Jones truly is looking for $45 million per year, that is significantly more than what many believe he would get on the open market.
Jones, who will turn 26 in May, threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2022 while quarterbacking the Giants to their first playoff appearance since 2016. He also rushed for 718 yards and 7 touchdowns. He made big strides under head coach Brian Daboll.
Judging by the comments Jones made at the end of the season, he seems to understand that his value is quite high. The franchise tag may be inevitable.
