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When Daniel Jones said his goodbyes to the New York Giants and their fans on Thursday, it had the sound of a man who knew he’d never play for the franchise again. As it turns out, that was exactly the case. Jones asked for and was granted his release by the Giants on Friday.
He now becomes a free agent and you wouldn’t expect him to be a particularly hot commodity. After all, Jones has a 24-44-1 record as an NFL starter. He has just 70 passing touchdowns to 47 interceptions and his career-high QBR is just 62.9 in 2022, a year that earned him a four-year, $160M contract that New York surely regrets.
NFL Team That Picks Up Daniel Jones Could Land Comp Pick If He Leaves In Offseason
However, it may not be that simple. Whoever Jones signs with is likely to ink him to a deal that only runs through the end of the current season. After that, he would again become a free agent. This means that if he signs with a different team in the offseason, the team that signed him the first time around would be entitled to a compensatory pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Good note by @nickkorte: If Daniel Jones signs with a team for the remainder of the season, then leaves in free agency and secures a solid backup or bridge quarterback-type contract, the team that had him would be in line to receive a compensatory pick. https://t.co/vRoWArGdly
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 22, 2024
The value of that pick would be determined by the size of the contract that Jones would hypothetically sign in the offseason. So there is, obviously, a limit to the upside. But it’s hard to imagine that some NFL team wouldn’t value him substantially as a backup quarterback. After all, he is still young and has plenty of experience as a starter. That aren’t a ton of backups across the league that can make that claim.
Jones’ days as a potential franchise quarterback seem numbered. But we all said the same about Sam Darnold, Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, each of whom have turned their respective careers around. Maybe Jones can do the same? If he does, the New York Giants may find themselves with egg on their face yet again.