Giants owner ‘still happy’ with Daniel Jones contract amid pivotal season | Sporting News

The pressure is on for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and his $40 million per year contract.

Coming off a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season after six games and after missing a combined 17 games over the last three seasons due to injury, Jones must first prove he can stay healthy.

Entering the second of a four-year, $160 million deal, Jones’s future as the Giants quarterback is very much in question.

However, co-owner and team president John Mara fully voiced his support for the 27-year-old quarterback.

“I’m still happy we gave (Jones) that contract because I thought he played really well for us in ’22,” Mara said via the team’s website. “Last year, he got hurt and let’s be honest, when he was playing, we weren’t blocking anybody. So, let’s give him a chance with a better offensive line with some weapons around him to see what he can do.”

Jones’ contract is looking less like a liability with the combination of an increased salary cap and an increase in quarterback contract value taking place around the league.

However, the Giants still need more from a quarterback that is getting paid $40 million per year. Availability is Jones’ first objective considering he’s played a full season just once in his NFL career.

The Giants did their homework on the 2024 draft class at the quarterback position and even tried to move up in a trade with the New England Patriots to get one. Ultimately, they stood pat at No. 6 and selected the sensational Malik Nabers.

“I was nervous about giving up too much to go and get a quarterback, but I was prepared to let (Schoen) do that if that’s what they wanted to do,” Mara said. “We made a decision to stay with Daniel and get a weapon for him, and I think that’s going to work out.”

Jones has never thrown more than 15 touchdowns in a season, though he did have 22 total touchdowns in 2022. In such a quarterback-centric league, the Giants need more than that.

We’ll see if Mara is still feeling the same way about Jones’ contract after the 2024 season.

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