Giants Pushed to ‘Go All In’ on Expensive Daniel Jones Replacement in 2025

It’s a do or die season for Daniel Jones in 2024 — that’s no secret. Not only does the New York Giants quarterback have to prove he’s worth his cap hit next year, but he also must do so quickly due to an injury clause in his contract that could get him benched.

That means if Jones falters over the first few weeks of the season, his tenure as the Giants QB1 could be finished. And if that happens, Big Blue will be quarterback shopping next spring.

Sure, NYG could target a rookie in the draft, but considering another failed campaign would likely mean 2025 is a make-or-break season for Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, a veteran might be the preferred route. In this scenario, who better than a player who’s been beating the Giants for years?

On June 13, Bleacher Report NFL analyst Maurice Moton urged New York to “go all in” on pursuing Dallas Cowboys rival signal-caller Dak Prescott in free agency next offseason — assuming he tests the open market.

“Prescott sounds like a quarterback who knows that he will have a list of teams willing to pay him high-end starting quarterback money regardless of what happens in the 2024 campaign,” Moton wrote in his intro.

“In eight years, Prescott has put together three Pro Bowl seasons, and he’s thrown for 4,499-plus yards in every other term since 2019. Last year, Prescott led the league in completions with 410,” he continued. Deducing that “if the Cowboys let Prescott walk next offseason, he will land on his feet with a new club on a solid deal.”

The analyst went on to argue that the Las Vegas Raiders and Giants are the two top teams that should try and steal Prescott from Dallas. And the veteran makes plenty of sense for Big Blue.

Why Giants Should Consider Dak Prescott if Daniel Jones Fails

Moton broke down the Giants as a potential landing spot for Prescott later in the article. He reiterated a few of the reasons above, with more detail.

“Daniel Jones may only have one more season to show that he can be the New York Giants’ franchise quarterback,” Moton said. “After a promising 2019 rookie campaign, throwing for 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, Jones has thrown for just 38 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in 47 games.

“Even though the Giants signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million extension last offseason, they can designate him as a post-June 1 cut and save $30.5 million in 2025.”

Moton also hinted that with Malik Nabers on the roster — plus additions on the offensive line — Jones is running out of excuses. The true WR1 appears to be in the building, and Daboll was thought to be one of the top offensive minds in the NFL before joining the Giants.

Any 2024 offensive struggles will likely fall squarely on Jones, and that’s expected in year six.

“The Giants know what Dak Prescott can do on the field,” Moton concluded. “He typically plays well against them, and the Dallas Cowboys have a 12-2 record against New York with him as a starter.”

Not to mention a lateral move inside the NFC East would certainly “stick it” to the Cowboys.

Some Believe Dak Prescott Could Earn $60 Million Per Year on Open Market

There is one issue with the Giants signing Prescott. Even if the front office designates Jones as a post-June 1 cut, they’re still on the hook for dead cap hits of $11.105 million in 2025 and 2026.

That, coupled with a massive Prescott cap hit, dedicates a ton of money to the QB position.

On June 14, Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill Jr. relayed that although “Dak Prescott has not asked for $60 million from the Cowboys. That is what he possibly could command on the market.”

Similarly, on June 13, Dallas podcaster Kevin Gray Jr. proclaimed that “if y’all don’t think [Prescott’s] about [to get] $60 million per season after what Trevor Lawrence got y’all are crazy!”

Gray is referring to Lawrence’s $55 million per year extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The last word from former NFL quarterback turned analyst, Robert Griffin III. “Cowboys better pay Dak Prescott ASAP,” he posted. “Because yesterday’s price AIN’T TODAY’S PRICE.”

So, can the Giants afford to spend this much salary on an aging QB in his early thirties? If a regime is desperate to win, history tells us that they’ll do just about anything to do so.

Michael Obermuller covers the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals for Heavy.com, where he began writing in 2021. An NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate, his previous bylines include FanDuel’s The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermuller