The New York Giants are like an overzealous Texas Hold ‘Em player: all in on quarterback Daniel Jones. The team gave Jones a four-year, $160 million contract last week. As a result, the G-Men have secured their most important position and are evidently poised to make a run at the Super Bowl.
Damn the future! The Giants reportedly backloaded the Jones deal, so they only have $19 million owed to him in year one. That frees the team to chase players Jones can throw the football to.
The Jones contract is a shocking commitment to a QB who has 31 losses in 53 career starts. Jones has never thrown more than 24 touchdowns in a season and only two TDs in two playoff games. How much will the $160 million mean to the Giants? Has it made the team more likely to get to and win the Super Bowl? Let’s look at the Giants’ Futures Odds after the Jones deal.
Giants’ Futures Odds Don’t Shift Following Jones Contract
Consensus is rare these days, but oddsmakers have the same idea about the Giants this offseason. The major New York sportsbooks are aligned on odds for the Giants to win the Super Bowl in 2024.
If the Giants add a wide receiver (or two), the oddsmakers may shorten those odds. But as of now, the Eagles, Niners, and Cowboys have shorter odds of winning Super Bowl 2024.
Jones will be 26 when the 2023 NFL season begins in September. The Giants are in a top-heavy NFC East division, with Philadelphia and Dallas at the head of the class. Even last-place Washington won eight games and barely missed the NFL Playoffs.
The Giants were 1-4-1 against their own division last season. If Jones is going to write his name into the Giants lore like Eli Manning, Phil Simms, or Dave Hostetler (the only three QBs to take the franchise to the Super Bowl), he’ll need to beat the Boys and Birds in the regular season regularly first.
Salary Impact of Jones Contract on G-Men
On a financial sleight of hand that would make a cryptocurrency startup jealous, the Giants somehow managed to structure the Jones contract so less than $20 million counts toward the cap in year one and less than $25 million in year two. That means GM Joe Schoen is a spreadsheet god. His maneuver means he can sign at least one big-name free agent if he wants, and possibly more.
Some feel Jones needs a new approach and better support. None other than team co-owner John Mara said earlier this year:
“We’ve done everything we can to screw this kid up.”
Mara is referring to the theory that Jones has been yanked around in his four seasons in the NFL. So far, Jones has worked under three offensive coordinators and three head coaches. This summer in camp, Jones wouldn’t be blamed for asking his co-workers to wear name tags.
But can the Jones Era be stabilized? Can the team line up behind the clean-cut QB with a strong arm? Does the huddle believe in “Danny Dimes?”
It would be nice if Jones could play under an OC/head coach combo for more consecutive seasons. If he could know what it’s like to have an All-Pro wide receiver. If those things happen, Giants fans could be emboldened with hope about their team.
Rodgers to Jets Puts Pressure on Giants to “Win” Big Apple
Word is leaking that the Green Bay Packers are ready to break up with the “Ponytail Philosopher,” Aaron Rodgers. And Rodgers will evidently agree to be dealt to the Jets. What does that mean for Jones and the Giants? It spells P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E.
The Jets and Giants will battle for back-page headlines next season, and with Jones having yet to prove he can carry a team deep into the playoffs, he’s at a disadvantage. But if Schoen can add playmakers and improve an unusually mediocre defense, the G-Men could return to the playoffs.
Photo By: Patrick Semansky/ AP Photo