NFL 2023: Are Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley moving away from New York Giants? Here’s what we know

Under new head coach Brian Daboll, the New York Giants improved from a 4-13 record and the sacking of head coach Joe Judge a year ago to winning nine games, entering the playoffs, and defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the first round, last week. If the Giants' season had ended there, perhaps the club would have stuck with quarterback Daniel Jones, because the squad was finally going in the right way after nearly a decade of futility.

But New York's season is coming to an end following a 38-7 divisional-round defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night, and Jones performed every bit as poorly as he did for the first three years of his career.

Daniel Jones' new contract appeared unavoidable at the completion of the regular season. That is no longer the case after tonight.


Will the Giants ever be good enough with Daniel Jones, or will Daboll, who helped develop quarterback Josh Allen into an MVP contender with the Buffalo Bills, want the team to go out and get his own Quarterback?

With a projected NFL salary cap of $225 million in 2023, the Giants will have the league's third-most room. Jones' franchise tag is expected to cost somewhat more than $32 million next season, accounting for nearly 75% of their current budget for 2023. Only nine quarterbacks in the NFL are expected to make more than that next season, and while Jones led the NFL in interceptions (1.1%), he was only 28th in touchdowns (3.2%).


A long-term contract, on the other hand, can make Jones less expensive this year while allowing the Giants to keep other free agents such as Barkley.

Can the Giants justify giving Jones the possible $30-35 million contract for a quarterback who has thrown 36 combined touchdowns in the previous three seasons, five fewer than NFL leader Patrick Mahomes in 2022 alone, and just one more than Joe Burrow and former Daboll protégé Allen's season totals?

The Giants surprised many by going 9-7-1 and then defeating the Vikings in the playoffs. That is grounds for them to contemplate continuing with the same players who assisted them in doing so. Unfortunately, the Giants finished 1-5-1 against NFC East opponents, including a 31-point loss to an Eagles club that beat them 48-22 and 22-16 in the regular season. This is the reason that might lead Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley to a direction away from the New York Giants.

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