In a surprising yet mutually beneficial move Friday, the New York Giants released quarterback Daniel Jones.
The sixth-year veteran was benched coming out of the team’s Week 11 bye, primarily to avoid an injury that would’ve triggered a $23M guarantee in 2025.
But now, by releasing him the team will save an additional $30.5M that would’ve been paid out to Jones, creating an extra $19.395M in cap space next year.
So where does the team go from here? Is the tank officially on for general manager Joe Schoen to have the best first-round pick possible?
Or will head coach Brian Daboll try to win some games down the stretch in an effort to stave off rumors of his impending dismissal?
There’s a slim chance the team will perform at a higher level with newly promoted starter Tommy DeVito under center.
Especially with Jones’ teammates having strong feelings about how their season-starting QB1 was demoted.
That doesn’t particularly mean there’s a mutiny brewing in the New York locker room, but keeping a winning attitude becomes much harder after a seismic move like that.
The Giants currently own the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and continuing to lose will only lock that position in or make it better.
Top college quarterbacks like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward will certainly be on Schoen’s radar.
But will how the organization handled Jones’ situation be a deterrent for prospective successors? Sanders’ father has already been vocal about getting involved in where his son is drafted to.
Ultimately, New York’s final seven games will dictate the fate of the franchise. What it does in the offseason will be closely watched by fans and pundits alike.
