Getty New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is expected to have a short leash in 2024.
The New York Giants’ 2024 offseason has been all over the map at quarterback. There has been talk of aggressive trade-ups in the draft, veteran additions, taking a QB at No. 6 overall, selecting one later to develop behind Daniel Jones and more — don’t forget the brief Russell Wilson visit.
As the dust settles after round one of free agency, however, we still have Jones atop the depth chart followed by new signing Drew Lock and 2023 success story Tommy DeVito. Of course, this three-man group doesn’t preclude the Giants from drafting a quarterback in April.
ESPN NYG insider Jordan Raanan addressed the latest on the Big Blue quarterback room during the March 15 episode of his “Breaking Big Blue” podcast, and he reminded fans of a very important financial clause that could end up impacting who eventually starts at the position.
After breaking down the John Schneider comments that hinted Lock could get the opportunity to compete for the starting job with the Giants, Raanan noted that the new veteran backup later acknowledged Jones is still the Week 1 starter assuming health. Having said that, the media member isn’t convinced that he’ll last.
“The smoke keeps building around Daniel Jones,” Raanan voiced. “Building, and building, and building. And usually — what’s the saying — when there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“There’s an injury guarantee out there with Daniel Jones, $23 million for 2025,” he continued. “If he gets injured sometime this season, the Giants will be on the hook for that.”
Raanan went on to explain that he’s “not saying Daniel Jones won’t start Week 1,” but all the recent QB smoke leads him to ponder “how long” he’ll remain as the starter. “How quick are they to pull the plug?” The reporter questioned. “How willing are the Giants to play him in the second half of the year?”
Short Leash Would Point to Giants Drafting New QB
If Raanan is correct in deducing that the Giants may have a very short leash at quarterback due to Jones’ large $23 million injury guarantee, the likelihood is that general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will draft a quarterback in April.
After all, Lock has been in the league since 2019. He has a career completion percentage of 59.7 with 23 career interceptions compared to 28 passing touchdowns.
No matter what the Giants may or may not have told Lock to get him to choose New York over Seattle, he is probably not the long-term answer at quarterback.
So, if the idea is to “pull the plug” on Jones at the first sign of trouble, as Raanan alluded, it’d more likely be a rookie QB that takes his job.
Could Lock get an opportunity as a bridge starter for a few games in 2024? Depending on where the Giants are in the standings, it’s certainly possible.
But this injury clause — and the weight that it carries — definitely points to Big Blue drafting a quarterback of the future. Remember, the Denver Broncos benched the aforementioned Wilson for the same reason in 2023.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy Still on Giants’ Radar in Draft
On March 15, SNY’s Connor Hughes reported that the Giants still “want” to select Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy in round one.
“The Giants remain open-minded as it pertains to the draft,” Hughes stated at the time. “All options are on the table at No. 6, even after signing Lock, sources told SNY.”
He went on to add that “the main position to watch here is quarterback, specifically Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.” Revealing: “The buzz is there that he’s the player the Giants want.”
Among the reasons “league sources” and “high-ranking executives” spoke highly of McCarthy are his size, athleticism, arm strength, accuracy and the fact that he “played in a pro-style offense.” He was also labeled as “very coachable,” according to Hughes.