Daniel Jones Notes: 2024 Draft, Giants Departure, Potential Landing Spots
Daniel Jones and the Giants have mutually parted ways. He is currently on waivers, but the nature of his contract ensures he will go unclaimed and thus have the opportunity to join his next team as a free agent. In the wake of this week’s news, a number of updates have emerged regarding the nature of his situation in New York and his potential market.
As has been well documented (in no small part by the Giants’ status as the subject of this summer’s Hard Knocks series), the team showed considerable interest in a move up the board for a rookie passer. Efforts to acquire the No. 3 pick – and thus the chance to draft Drake Maye – fell short, but Jones made clear his feelings on the subject of nearly being replaced on at least a post-2024 basis. To little surprise, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports the Giants’ desire to draft a successor added extra pressure for Jones ahead of the 2024 campaign.
This season also, of course, represented Jones’ return from the ACL tear which shut him down the year prior. He struggled leading up to his Week 12 benching, throwing nearly as many interceptions (seven) as touchdowns (eight) and taking 29 sacks. The 27-year-old was in position to occupy the fourth spot on New York’s QB depth chart once Tim Boyle was added, insurance against him seeing the field and thus being unable to pass a physical this offseason. Jones spoke with head coach Brian Daboll about his future before taking time to contemplate his next steps.
Part of that brief period included time on the scout team defense (something NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes Jones volunteered for) at practice and what has turned out to be a public goodbye to the franchise. The sixth-year passer faced the issue of needing to initiate an arrangement with the organization regardless of what form it took. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports simply leaving the team while remaining on the books – like Derek Carr did after his 2022 Raiders benching – was not an option in this case without an agreement in place between team and player.
Instead, Jones requested the Giants move on before no doubt doing so this offseason anyway, something Daboll noted was a surprising development in the wake of the decision to bench him (video link). Indeed, Dan Duggan of The Athletic adds New York would have been willing to carry Jones as a fourth-string quarterback for the balance of the season, but the former No. 6 pick’s request to be let go made that a moot point. Jones will begin the process of seeking out a new team shortly as the Giants prepare to start Tommy DeVito for the time being and (in all likelihood) select a new franchise passer in the 2025 draft.
Jones will be on waivers until Monday afternoon, after which point he will be eligible to join an interested suitor. His base salary for the rest of the year is already locked in, so a league minimum pact is expected once his next deal is in place (along the same lines as Russell Wilson‘s Steelers pact checking in at a low cost since the Broncos are still on the hook for most of his 2024 compensation). New York will receive a small degree of cap relief via an offset once Jones has a new deal in place, as noted by CBS Sports’ Joel Corry.
The fact a prorated league minimum investment is all that will likely be required could make Jones an attractive option to teams seeking experienced depth under center down the stretch. A market could be generated quickly, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini writes the Duke product could instead prefer to remain unsigned for a period and take advantage of a starting gig opening up through injury or other circumstances (subscription required). In any case, the opportunity to join an organization interested in exploring a deal for 2025 should present itself.
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