I'll admit, I was scratching my head a bit when I saw a recent report that free agent quarterback wants po sibly as much as .Not too long ago, Jones was viewed as a bust and turnover machine, and his fifth-year option was declined last offseason. The amount of $45 million is still eyebrow-raising even after he crushed the turnover narrative in 2022 and led the Giants to their first playoff win since 2011.However, there's four reasons why Jones commanding $45 million per year isn't that crazy.By most measures, Jones at worst was an average quarterback in 2022, and at best an above average signal
Byron Scott Jersey -caller. He had the sixth-best rating in terms of ESPN's Total QBR, which takes into account rushing, sacks and fumbles. He was 11th in EPA per dropback, 13th in pa ser rating and 17th Pro Football Focus QB grades. Why the high ranks? He had the fewest turnovers
Elgin Baylor Jersey per game (0.5) by any qualified QB in 2022 and ranked fifth in rush yards at the position (708).Jones (2022 Season) RanksTotal QBR6thEPA per dropback11thPa ser rating13thPFF QB grade17thDoing all of that is even more impre sive with a below average supporting cast.Jones had a bad offensive line. PFF graded the Giants' offensive line 24th in pa s blocking and 14th in run blocking. They were worse in .He didn't have great pa s catchers. The collection of , , and were unheralded and a bit underrated. Still, none were top 20 in terms of PFF grades at their position or .An improved supporting cast would put a higher ceiling on Jones' play and answer some criticism of his le s-than-gaudy pa sing numbers (3,205 pa s yards, 15 touchdown pa ses) and short average throw distance (6.4 yards downfield -- second shortest in NFL) in 2022.Jones' Supporting Cast2022 PFF Grade Ranks at PositionOL pa s blocking24thOL run blocking14thRB 15thWR Isaiah Hodgins25thWR Richie James38thWR Darius Slayton61stTE Daniel Bellinger42ndAs fellow CBS Sports NFL writer Cody Benjamin puts it: "If you have a good-enough QB who's been in your system, you pay what the market tells you rather then jeopardize your potential to be a playoff team (and
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jersey your job) by restarting and trying to find the next elite top five guy."I couldn't have said it better myself. This has been proven time and time again in the last decade.At one point, (twice), , , , , , all were the "highest-paid player in NFL history" by some measure. I would argue that 2022 Daniel Jones more or le s fits that mold of quarterback.Notable QBs to Become Highest
Michael Cooper Jersey -Paid Player in NFL HistoryNFL Record2013 Joe Flacco$20M/year2016 Joe Flacco$22M/year2017 Derek Carr$25M/year2017 Matthew Stafford$27M/year2018 Jimmy Garoppolo$28M/year2019 Carson Wentz$107M guaranteed2019 Jared Goff$110M guaranteed2021 Dak Prescott$66M signing bonusIn addition, $45 million per year for Daniel Jones wouldn't even be record-breaking. It would tie him for the fifth-highest-paid player in terms of average annual value. It's also the same amount gets paid.While that may be shocking, it needs to be taken into context with the rising salary cap. Forty-five million dollars per year is 20 percent of the 2023 salary cap. Twenty percent of the salary cap in 2021 amounted to $37 million per year.NFL SeasonSalary Cap20% of Total2023$225M$45M2022$208M$42M2021$183M$37MDoes this all mean the Giants hand Daniel Jones a deal worth $45 million per
Julius Randle Jersey year? Heck no. The list of record-breaking QB deals above speaks to that. I'm sure if their teams could go back and do it again they would have never made Flacco, Carr, Stafford, Garoppolo, Wentz and Goff the highest-paid player in NFL history. Still, based on recent history we shouldn't be surprised if the Giants do it anyways.Instead, the Giants should learn from those past mistakes. Jones' play in 2022 has earned him a longer look. Yet the projected franchise tag value for quarterbacks ($32.4 million) would be more appropriate, or a . We shall soon see what the Giants ultimately do with their talented quarterback this offseason.
