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Adam Schefter, ESPN Senior Author
Lengthy earlier than Daniel Jones‘ $23 million harm assure for the 2025 season might probably turn out to be a difficulty, the New York Giants already had been mulling their quarterback choices.
Amid questions on Jones’ future in New York, the Giants will face a quarterback on Sunday that they strongly thought-about buying and selling as much as draft.
Through the offseason version of “Exhausting Knocks” on Cinemax, Giants basic supervisor Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll had been sitting collectively after they started assessing one of many high quarterbacks within the 2024 draft class.
“Daniels,” Schoen mentioned, referring to Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. “Have you ever guys seen sufficient that you’d commerce up for him?”
To which Daboll replied, “Daniels? I might.”
The Giants had been unable to maneuver up as excessive as No. 2 within the draft and as an alternative, the Commanders stayed in that slot and drafted their quarterback of the long run and the participant that New York will face Sunday in Washington.
Because the Giants put together to face Daniels for the primary time, additionally they should be ready for the questions which are monitoring to return up sooner or later this season — the identical conditions different groups have confronted with their quarterbacks in latest seasons.
Jones has a $23 million harm assure for 2025 that turns into totally assured if he will get injured and is unable to go a bodily within the offseason. In latest seasons, different NFL groups have benched quarterbacks to keep away from triggering harm ensures.
This occurred final season in Denver when the Broncos benched Russell Wilson, who returns to Denver on Sunday with the Steelers, earlier than he might probably endure an harm and set off a $37 million assure for 2024.
Additionally final season, the Raiders benched Jimmy Garoppolo moderately than risking the quarterback to harm, which might have assured a further $11.25 million that might have been due this season.
In 2022, the Colts benched Matt Ryan in October, reducing the danger that they’d have of getting to pay the veteran quarterback a $7.5 million roster bonus in March 2023.
Later that yr, the Raiders benched Derek Carr to keep away from his $32.9 million wage for the 2023 season and $7.5 million of his 2024 wage turning into assured if he suffered a big harm.
The Giants are but at that time with Jones, and it’s early within the season. However these are choices that different groups have confronted in latest seasons, and if Jones would not play higher — he has simply two landing passes in his final eight video games — New York could be anticipated to be compelled to contemplate an identical determination.
Jones struggled in final Sunday’s 28-6 house loss to the Vikings, throwing two interceptions and finishing simply 52.4% of his passes. The Giants are simply 1-6 within the seven video games Jones has began since signing his four-year, $160 million deal.
However regardless of the poor begin to the season, Daboll backed Jones because the Giants’ starter earlier this week. Jones mentioned Thursday that his “mental toughness is in a good spot” and added he’s “assured in my skill to exit and execute, and look I ahead to doing that on Sunday.”
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan contributed to this report.
