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QB Notes: Watson, Bears, Jones, Chiefs, Pats

October 18th, 2023 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Missing another Browns practice, Deshaun Watson provided details on his shoulder injury Wednesday. The seventh-year passer said he suffered a micro tear in his right rotator cuff, which the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling notes amounts to a strained shoulder. Previously called a bruise, Watson’s injury will threaten to keep him sidelined for a third game. Watson’s hiatus did not begin until the Browns ruled him out hours before their Week 4 game. Watson said an MRI conducted the night before revealed he was battling more than a bruise.

Kevin Stefanski confirmed the obvious, after a 49ers upset, that P.J. Walker will remain the team’s backup. Watson added that he has been told this micro tear will not develop into a bigger injury that requires season-ending surgery, but the well-paid QB is resting to ensure he can throw without restrictions. Although Watson himself expressed hesitancy regarding a return Sunday, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Browns are optimistic their top QB will be back. Watson has been cleared to play for weeks, but he and the team are believed to be on the same page regarding his return plan.

Here is the latest from the quarterback landscape:

  • Bouncing on and off the Bears‘ 53-man roster, Nathan Peterman is on the team at the moment. His yo-yoing between the practice squad and the active will pause for the time being, with Justin Fields doubtful for Week 7 with a dislocated thumb. Peterman, however, will serve as the backup to rookie UDFA Tyson Bagent, Matt Eberflus confirmed (via The Athletic’s Adam Jahns). Hailing from Division II Shepherd, Bagent replaced Fields in Week 6. Fields’ absence may last longer than one week, via SI.com’s Albert Breer, though it is still too early to tell here. Eberflus confirmed the team is still considering a surgery, which would redefine the team’s season.
  • It does not look like Daniel Jones will be able to go in Week 7. The fifth-year Giants quarterback continues to feel neck and left shoulder soreness and has not been cleared for full work. Though, Jones has been cleared to throw, Brian Daboll said. He just has not been cleared for contact, per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. Jones missed the final six games of the 2021 season because of a neck injury, one that led Daboll to New York to replace Joe Judge. Daboll said Jones’ season is not in jeopardy. Tyrod Taylor remains in place as the Giants’ backup, with Daboll reminding there is no competition between he and Jones for the starting role.
  • Stashed on the Patriots‘ practice squad until mid-October, Malik Cunningham played six offensive snaps against the Raiders in his NFL debut. The rookie UDFA may be in line for a bigger role soon. The Patriots’ coaches are discussing ways to increase the quarterback/receiver option’s usage, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes. The Patriots have struggled in just about every facet offensively, sinking to 1-5. Cunningham flashed in the preseason. With Mac Jones and his wide receivers not making notable impacts, Cunningham would seemingly be worth a try as a gadget player.
  • The Chiefs updated Patrick Mahomes‘ contract in September, providing a necessary adjustment after the QB market had passed the two-time MVP since his 10-year, $450MM extension came to pass in July 2020. Mahomes remains the only NFLer signed into the 2030s, and Fowler adds some agents have wondered if the Chiefs are using their superstar quarterback’s lengthy deal as a precedent in other players’ negotiations. The Chiefs engaged in extensive Chris Jones negotiations this offseason, failing to agree on an extension. Though, money was believed to be a bigger factor than contract length. Kansas City, however, did see contract length factor into its talks with Orlando Brown Jr. last summer. The Pro Bowl left tackle balked at a six-year offer worth $139MM, citing dissatisfaction with the guarantee. Rather than what would have been a seven-year commitment to the Chiefs, Brown hit free agency and signed a four-year, $64MM Bengals deal this offseason.

Daniel Jones Avoids Serious Neck Injury; Giants QB To Miss Week 6

October 13th, 2023 at 10:36am CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 13: Daboll confirmed the previous suspicions; Jones will not play in Week 6. The fifth-year quarterback has not practiced this week, having not received medical clearance. While this is not believed to be a serious injury, Jones’ 2021 absences and 2022 neck surgery make this a must-monitor situation. Taylor, the Bills’ starter for three seasons, will face his former team Sunday night.

OCTOBER 12: A neck injury ended Daniel Jones‘ 2021 season, leading to one of the worst stretches in Giants history. That Jones-less period ended with Joe Judge and Dave Gettleman losing their jobs. While Jones bounced back last season and now has a big-ticket contract, he is again battling a neck injury.

Jones left the Giants’ Week 5 loss to the Dolphins, and while he has expressed optimism, he added (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) he is not yet cleared to practice. The Giants are likely to start Tyrod Taylor against the Bills on Sunday night, per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard.

Although Jones is moving toward missing Week 6, he does not believe this is shaping up as a long-term concern. X-rays and a follow-up examination produced a positive outlook, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz tweets. The former top-10 pick missed the Giants’ final six games in 2021 and underwent surgery. Brian Daboll said Jones has experienced lingering soreness, and considering the Giants’ present state and what they have invested in Jones, it would make little sense to rush him back.

“I think it’s a different injury, a different circumstance,” Jones said, via Leonard. “So I’m not really comparing it to that a couple years ago. But this was the advice from the doctors and trainers, so I’m gonna follow that.”

The Giants have discussed adding another veteran QB, Schwartz notes. Only former UDFA Tommy DeVito is in place — on the practice squad — behind Taylor. The Giants have used Taylor, Colt McCoy and Mike Glennon as their backups over the past four seasons. The move from McCoy to Glennon in 2021 helped key that brutal season-closing span that ended with Judge’s ouster. Taylor is one of the NFL’s most experienced backups, making his name as a three-year Bills starter. The Giants have the 13th-year veteran on a two-year, $11MM deal.

Despite not picking up Jones’ fifth-year option in 2022, the Giants circled back to him via a four-year, $160MM accord just before the March deadline to apply franchise tags. They were the first team to decline a QB’s fifth-year option and then re-sign him. The 11th-hour signing prevented the team from needing to tag Jones, allowing a Saquon Barkley tag. The Giants, however, have not followed up their divisional-round surge with competency. They are 1-4, rank 31st in scoring offense and have allowed Jones to be sacked 16 times over the past two games. Given the state of Big Blue’s offensive line, Jones being sent back out there at less than 100% would be a strange ask.

The Giants are unlikely to have Andrew Thomas back, per Schwartz. The All-Pro left tackle has missed four games with a hamstring injury, suffering a setback midway through his recovery process. They played last week without starting center John Michael Schmitz and fill-in guard Shane Lemieux.

NFC Injury Updates: Zavala, Jefferson, Jones

October 8th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers experienced a scare when starting left guard Chandler Zavala collapsed on the field and remained facedown after experiencing a neck injury in today’s loss to the Lions. The team’s medical staff placed him on a backboard, and as he was carted off the field, Zavala gave the stadium a thumbs-up.

The rookie fourth-round starter was taken immediately to a hospital where he was alert, responsive, and had movement in all his extremities. He underwent several tests, all of which came back well, was released from the hospital, and rejoined his teammates at the airport to return to Charlotte with the team, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt.

In Zavala’s absence, second-year guard Cade Mays finished out the game at left guard. If Zavala’s neck injury forces him to miss any additional time, Mays will likely have an opportunity to prove his worth as a consistent starter after only starting two games his rookie year.

Here are a few other injury updates from today:

  • Early in the fourth quarter of today’s loss to the Dolphins, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was knocked out of the game with a neck injury. This was cause for concern in New York, knowing that Jones missed the final six weeks of the 2021 season with a neck injury. While not an official diagnosis, head coach Brian Daboll relayed that Jones had told him after the game that he would be okay, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan informed that Jones had negative X-rays at the stadium and would undergo an MRI tomorrow for an accurate diagnosis.
  • Late in the Vikings loss to the Chiefs, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson exited the game with a hamstring injury after slipping on the field. After what appeared to be a pep talk with his young wideout, head coach Kevin O’Connell told the media that it’s “still very early” to establish a timeline for Jefferson’s return, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, seemingly putting some doubt on the All-Pro’s status moving forward.

Giants Restructure QB Daniel Jones’ Contract

September 4th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

In need of financial wiggle room to start the season, the Giants have created some by re-working their franchise quarterback’s pact. Daniel Jones has agreed to a restructure which sees $8.42MM of his 2023 salary converted into a signing bonus, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

[RELATED: Reviewing Giants’ Offseason]

As a result of the move, Jones’ cap hit for this season has dropped from $21.8MM to $15.4MM. That will give the Giants some much-needed breathing room, as they entered Monday 29th in the league in cap space. On the other hand, it increases the burden of the 26-year-old’s deal in future years, with his cap hits for the next three years ballooning to $47.1MM, $41.6MM and $58.6MM.

New York made a massive investment in Jones just before the deadline to apply franchise tags, inking him to a four-year, $160MM deal. That paved the way for a Saquon Barkley franchise tag, and gave the team cost certainty under center for the foreseeable future. With up to $22MM available in cap savings available next year via another restructure, though, Dan Duggan of the Athletic notes that further adjustments to the Duke alum’s contract down the road should be expected.

Jones faces substantial expectations going into 2023, his second season under reigning Coach of the Year Brian Daboll. The former No. 6 pick put up new career highs in a number of categories last year, and with a new pass-catching corps led by Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller in place, further progression would help justify his contract. It would also make subsequent restructures easier to authorize in light of the other financial priorities the Giants have to address in the near future.

Barkley, along with defensive tackle Leonard Williams, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and safety Xavier McKinney are among the players set to hit free agency at the end of the 2023 campaign, and important decisions will need to made with respect to the price point the team is willing to set to retain each of them. Jones will be in the fold for years to come, though, especially given the financial downside the Giants would face if they were attempt to move on from him in the near future.

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Offense

July 11th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s salary cap once again ballooned by more than $10MM, rising from its $208.2MM perch to $224.8MM. Factoring in the pandemic-induced 2021 regression, the NFL’s salary risen has climbed by more than $42MM since 2021.

This has allowed teams more opportunities for roster additions and opened the door for more lucrative player deals — at most positions, at least. However, it does not look like this season will include a $40MM player cap number. The Browns avoided a record-shattering Deshaun Watson $54.9MM hit by restructuring the quarterback’s fully guaranteed contract, calling for monster figures from 2024-26.

Here are the largest cap hits for teams on the offensive side going into training camp:

  1. Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $39.69MM
  2. Ryan Tannehill, QB (Titans): $36.6MM
  3. Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $30.98MM
  4. Jake Matthews, T (Falcons): $28.36MM
  5. Trent Williams, T (49ers): $27.18MM
  6. Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $26.83MM
  7. Laremy Tunsil, T (Texans): $26.61MM
  8. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers): $23.8MM
  9. Amari Cooper, WR (Browns): $23.78MM
  10. Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $23.69MM
  11. Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens): $23.67MM
  12. Joe Thuney, G (Chiefs): $22.12MM
  13. Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $22MM
  14. Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $22MM
  15. Daniel Jones, QB (Giants): $21.75MM
  16. David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $21.29MM
  17. Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $20.25MM
  18. D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $20.17MM
  19. Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $20MM
  20. Brian O’Neill, T (Vikings): $19.66MM
  21. Taylor Decker, T (Lions): $19.35MM
  22. Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $19.1MM
  23. Braden Smith, T (Colts): $19MM
  24. Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $18.64MM
  25. Courtland Sutton, WR (Broncos): $18.27MM

As should be expected, quarterbacks dominate this list. Mahomes’ number checks in here despite the Chiefs restructuring his 10-year, $450MM contract in March; the two-time MVP’s cap hit would have set an NFL record had Kansas City not reduced it. The Chiefs did not restructure Mahomes’ deal last year, but if they do not address it — perhaps via a complex reworking — before next season, Mahomes’ $46.93MM number would break an NFL record.

The Titans have not touched Tannehill’s contract this offseason, one that included some trade rumors months ago. This is the final year of Tannehill’s Tennessee extension. Mahomes and Tannehill sat atop this ranking in 2022.

Cousins is also heading into a contract year, after the Vikings opted for a restructure and not an extension this offseason. Cousins does not expect to discuss another Minnesota deal until 2024, when he is due for free agency. Two relatively low cap numbers have started Wilson’s $49MM-per-year extension. The Denver QB’s cap number rises to $35.4MM in 2024 and reaches historic heights ($55.4MM) by ’25. The subject of a Goff extension has come up, and it would bring down the Lions passer’s figure. But Goff remains tied to his Rams-constructed $33.5MM-per-year deal through 2024.

Jackson and Jones’ numbers will rise in the near future, with the latter’s contract calling for a quick spike in 2024. Next year, the Giants QB’s cap hit will be $45MM. Watson’s 2024 hit, as of now, would top that. The Browns signal-caller is on the team’s ’24 payroll at $63.98MM. Long-term consequences aside, the Browns can be expected to once again go to the restructure well with Watson’s outlier contract.

The Raiders did not backload Garoppolo’s three-year contract; it only climbs to $24.25MM on Las Vegas’ 2024 cap sheet. The Bills did backload Allen’s pact. Its team-friendly years are done after 2023; the six-year accord spikes to $47.1MM on Buffalo’s cap next year. The Cowboys have gone to the restructure well with Prescott. Like Watson, the Cowboys quarterback is tied to a seemingly untenable 2024 cap number. The March restructure resulted in Prescott’s 2024 number rising to $59.46MM. Two seasons remain on that $40MM-AAV extension.

Another notable cap hold that should be mentioned is Tom Brady‘s. When the Buccaneers did not sign the again-retired QB to another contract before the 2023 league year, his $35.1MM dead-money figure went onto Tampa Bay’s 2023 cap sheet. The Bucs will absorb that entire amount this year. Brady’s 2022 restructure, after retirement No. 1, led to the $35.1MM figure forming.

Were it not for another O-line-record extension, the Tunsil number would have come in at $35MM this year. Matthews signed an extension last year. Moore would have come in higher on this list were he still on the Panthers, who took on $14.6MM in dead money to move their top wideout for the No. 1 overall pick. Sutton came up regularly in trade rumors, with the Broncos wanting a second-round pick for the sixth-year veteran. The former second-rounder’s high base salary ($14MM) hinders his trade value.

Giants QB Daniel Jones’ Asking Price Reached $47MM Per Year

July 5th, 2023 at 10:46am CST by Sam Robinson

The final part of the Giants’ long-running Daniel Jones–Saquon Barkley retention plan is still going, with the team remaining in talks with the Pro Bowl running back ahead of the July 17 franchise tag deadline. But the earlier discussions were more complex in nature.

Not only did the Giants need to find a way to keep both Jones and Barkley off the 2023 market, but they were negotiating with a quarterback with an uncertain price tag. Injuries and inconsistency during Jones’ first three years led the Giants to pass on his fifth-year option in 2022. The former No. 6 overall pick ended up navigating his contract year well, piloting Big Blue to the playoffs and setting himself up for a big payday.

Jones became the first quarterback to sign an extension with the team that declined his fifth-year option, and while the final numbers checked in far higher than anyone would have expected at this point last year, the four-year Giants starter is believed to have asked for a monster contract. As negotiations commenced, Jones’ camp sought a $47MM-per-year extension, Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

That number is higher than what we heard leading up to his deal. A February report indicated that Jones, after changing agents, was gunning for a $45MM-AAV extension. It turned out the Giants needed to move their quarterback down from a number that would have at the time made him the third-highest-paid QB — per average salary — in the NFL. Jones’ ask would have placed him in front of Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson‘s AAVs. Subsequent extensions for Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts have raised the market to $52MM per year, but when the Giants hammered out their Jones deal, only Aaron Rodgers was past $50MM. And Rodgers’ 2022 deal turned out to be a uniquely structured pact that produced a trade.

The Giants ended up reaching a happy medium with Jones, giving him the same overall terms — four years, $160MM — Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford reached with their respective teams in the previous two offseasons. Prescott also did better than Jones on the guarantee front, securing $95MM fully guaranteed at the same offseason juncture Jones ($81MM locked in) scored his payday. Prescott possessed leverage of a whopping cap number — from a second franchise tag — hitting the Cowboys’ books in 2021. Jones, however, enjoyed negotiating weapons of an imminent free agency trip and the prospect of the Giants losing Barkley. New York found a way to retain both players, but Barkley is less than two weeks from being tied to the $10.1MM running back tag this season. The Giants were planning to tag Jones — at $32.4MM — had no deal been struck in March.

Jones, 26, managing to parlay a 15-touchdown pass season into a $40MM-per-year windfall may go down as one of the better negotiating coups in recent memory, but the Duke product was targeting a bottom-tier pass-catching corps that had sustained injuries and lost Kadarius Toney via trade (after the 2021 first-rounder missed most of the Giants portion of his season with injury). Jones offered an efficient passing performance to lift the Giants past the Vikings in the wild-card round, adding 78 rushing yards in that game. This followed a career year on the ground for Jones as well; he finished with 708 rushing yards to further aid the Giants’ shorthanded offense.

While the Jones deal has been scrutinized, the Giants can also escape it with fairly minimal damage by 2025. Should Jones’ 2022 season prove fluky, the Giants can move on by making the QB a post-June 1 cut in 2025 and absorb an $18MM dead-money hit. All parties will hope this agreement ends better, as the Giants are committed to the Dave Gettleman-era draftee for at least two seasons.

NFL Restructures: McCaffrey, Jones, Franklin-Myers, Jones

May 5th, 2023 at 8:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few details on recent contract restructures agreed to around the league:

  • The 49ers were able to reach an agreement on a restructured contract with star running back Christian McCaffrey last week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, opening up $8.58MM in cap space. The team converted $10.72MM of McCaffrey’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus and added two void years in order to reach the desired cap savings.
  • The Raiders were likewise able to restructure the contract of outside linebacker Chandler Jones to free up $5.07MM in cap space, according to Yates. Jones agreed to convert $6.33MM of his 2023 base salary into a signing bonus and add an additional void year to help Las Vegas reach those figures.
  • Yates also reports that the Jets reached an agreement last week to restructure defensive end John Franklin-Myers‘s contract. New York converted $4.32MM of Franklin-Myers’s 2023 base salary into a signing bonus to clear up $3.46MM in cap space.
  • In one of the least impactful updates we’ve reported, the Giants‘ cap space decreased by $750K last week because of a corresponding increase to quarterback Daniel Jones‘s cap hit. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the adjustment stems from an incentive Jones can earn this season if he plays over 65 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and wins the division. According to the league’s CBA, “any incentive bonus based on the team’s ranking in its Division automatically will be deemed ‘likely to be earned,'” which adds the incentive automatically to Jones’s 2023 cap hit.

QB Notes: Giants, Geno, Watson, Pats, Jets

March 11th, 2023 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a frenzied run-up to the franchise tag deadline, the Giants have been a bit quieter leading up to free agency. The team’s top business is complete, though they will also be prepared to add talent next week and try to negotiate a Saquon Barkley extension before the July deadline. The Giants’ top contract is done, however, with Daniel Jones agreeing to a four-year, $160MM deal. That contract includes $82MM fully guaranteed — eighth among QBs — and both his 2023 and 2024 base salaries ($9.5MM, $35.5MM) are fully guaranteed, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Most of Jones’ 2025 base ($30MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing, but it does not become fully guaranteed until the 2025 league year. Rather than a year-out vesting date, Jones’ 2025 guarantees not vesting until that point gives the team an out barring injury. Jones’ $46MM 2026 base salary is nonguaranteed, Florio adds.

Although the nonguaranteed 2026 money more accurately tabs this deal as a three-year, $112.5MM pact, the Giants would be on the hook for just $18MM in dead money were they to shed it from their payroll in 2025. Here is the latest from the QB ranks:

  • The Seahawks look to have convinced Geno Smith to accept a “prove it” contract, albeit on a major raise. Initially reported as a three-year, $105MM pact, Smith’s deal includes full guarantees ($27.3MM) that only stretch through 2023. An additional $12.7MM is guaranteed for injury until February, when NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes (on Twitter) it shifts to a full guarantee. That gives the Seahawks additional time to evaluate Smith, who surprised most with his 2022 performance. Smith’s guarantee consists of a $26.1MM signing bonus and a $1.2MM base salary in 2023, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. The Seahawks could designate Smith as a post-June 1 cut in 2024 and be charged with just $8.7MM in dead money. Pete Carroll has spoken of the possibility the Seahawks could take a quarterback at No. 5. While the trade-down-happy team may be trying to create a market for the pick, the Smith details point to the team’s QB situation not being settled beyond 2023.
  • Browns GM Andrew Berry discussed the possibility of a Deshaun Watson restructure. While this is a restructure-crazed point on the NFL calendar, the prospect of adjusting this particular deal would create some new territory due to the $230MM fully guaranteed sum. The Browns do not need Watson’s permission to reshuffle money on his deal, Florio notes. Watson is on Cleveland’s 2023 cap sheet at a record-shattering $54.9MM. A restructure this year could create $33.69MM in cap space, Florio adds. Moving more money onto future caps would create some eye-popping figures, but it is a route the Browns can take to create cap space this year. Cleveland is currently more than $14MM over the cap.
  • Bailey Zappe‘s cameo as a Patriots starter caused became a storyline briefly last season, and while Mac Jones won his job back, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes Zappe will have a chance to push Jones for the job in 2023 (subscription required). After a record-setting season at Western Kentucky, Zappe completed 70.7% of his passes and won both his starts as a Patriot. Jones helped Bill O’Brien learn Alabama’s system back in 2021, when the former was preparing for the draft, so it would be interesting to see if Zappe will cause a legitimate QB controversy this year.
  • The Jets are interested in bringing back Mike White, but they are expected to have some competition. Other teams are interested in adding the popular Jet as an option to compete for a role, Garafolo notes (video link). This could be as a bridge option for a team planning to draft a quarterback. The Jets have zeroed in on Aaron Rodgers. If the all-time great does decide he wants in on the Big Apple, White would seemingly be headed elsewhere.

Giants Increased Offer To Saquon Barkley; Extension Remains In Play

March 7th, 2023 at 8:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rather than spend $32.4MM on a Daniel Jones franchise tag, the Giants beat Tuesday’s buzzer by extending their quarterback. They will have both he and Saquon Barkley on their 2023 payroll for less than that price. Jones’ cap number and Barkley’s $10.1MM tag will help the team pursue upgrades in free agency, but another deadline will loom later this offseason.

The Giants will have until July 17 to reach an extension with Barkley, who has engaged in off-and-on extension talks with team dating back to November. Since that point launched negotiations, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports the Giants have increased their offer to Barkley. That unspecified hike is believed to have emerged during the parties’ offseason talks. GM Joe Schoen said (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, on Twitter) those will continue Wednesday.

Barkley is believed to have turned down a deal in the $12.5MM-per-year neighborhood. Schoen previously acknowledged the in-season negotiations did not lead to much progress, but Dunleavy adds optimism exists the Giants and Barkley can come to agreement before the July deadline. Absent an extension, Barkley will be tied to that $10.1MM cap number throughout the season. Barkley said after the season he wanted to stay with the Giants.

Guarantee distribution and contract length have also formed hurdles here, Dunleavy adds. The three- and four-year timelines have divided the sides. This will probably be Barkley’s last big-ticket agreement, given his experience level and age (26), so it would stand to reason guarantees will be the bigger factor in a deal being closed. That said, the recent run of running back extensions have mostly been four- or five-year pacts. Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Aaron Jones and Christian McCaffrey signed four-year extensions. Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara inked five-year accords. Ezekiel Elliott (six) and Nick Chubb (three) are the outliers among the top running back earners.

Barkley joins Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard on the tag, a team-friendly price that checks in higher than only the kicker/punter tag this year. With the above-referenced deals all agreed to from 2020-21 — excepting Elliott’s, which was signed in 2019 — it is logical for Barkley to pursue a top-market deal given the salary cap’s climb. Barkley initially asked for McCaffrey-level money, but Dunleavy notes the sixth-year back reduced his price by a bit. Barkley said at season’s end he was not looking to reset the market, but after his bounce-back season and considering his importance to the Giants, it should not be expected he settles in the $12MM-AAV range. Still, the sides appear to have bridged the gap to a degree.

The Giants announced Jones’ extension Tuesday night. Jones came down from a $48MM-per-year ask, according to Dunleavy, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the quarterback’s agents flew to New Jersey on Monday to finish off the negotiations (subscription required). Jones’ 2023 cap hit is expected to check in around $19MM. Barkley is unlikely to sign an extension before free agency; talks had stalled as of Tuesday morning. But the Giants should still have some room to chase some free agents or retain others. They have been linked to having interest in bringing back Julian Love, Nick Gates and Jon Feliciano. All three are ticketed for free agency.

Hammering out those deals may seem easier after the team, using the 2020 Titans’ blueprint (Henry tag, Ryan Tannehill extension), negotiated its top offseason barrier.

Giants, Daniel Jones Agree To Deal; Team To Use Franchise Tag On Saquon Barkley

March 7th, 2023 at 2:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Minutes before the franchise tag deadline, the Giants have reached an agreement on a Daniel Jones extension. The sides have a deal in place, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).

This should allow the team to use its franchise tag on Saquon Barkley, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes that will happen (Twitter link). Jones agreed to a four-year, $160MM extension, Garafolo and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport report. The sides are finalizing the deal, which Rapoport notes can increase by $35MM via incentives (Twitter link).

The Giants had until 3pm CT today to avoid a situation in which Jones was tagged — the team’s plan absent an extension — and Barkley headed toward the open market. Now, the Giants will have both players back in 2023. Barkley’s tag is worth $10.1MM, and he joins Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard among running backs tagged this year. Jones’ extension will make that number easier for the Giants to fit onto their cap. Tagging Jones would have placed a $32.4MM cap hold on New York’s payroll.

Jones had the Giants up against a deadline that could have meant losing Barkley, pointing to the former first-round pick doing well on the guarantee front. The 25-year-old quarterback will collect $82MM over the deal’s first two years, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting this does cover Jones’ guarantees (Twitter link). Four years had been the expectation here, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds (on Twitter). The Giants are essentially making a two-year bet on Jones ascending.

This represents a staggering financial leap for Jones, who piloted the Giants to the playoffs despite the team’s receiver blueprint changing for the worse early in the season. Jones displayed his best work in terms of efficiency, leading the NFL in interception percentage, and used his legs far more than he had over his first three seasons (810 rushing yards between the regular season and playoffs). Still, the Giants greenlighting a $40MM-per-year extension — the deal’s structure matches Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford‘s accords — for a QB who threw 15 touchdown passes in his contract year is certainly a notable development in recent transaction history.

Prescott and Stafford agreed to their respective four-year, $160MM extensions on lower salary caps; the cap ballooning past $224MM aided Jones and the Giants. Jones, Prescott and Stafford are all tied for seventh in terms of QB AAV. Though, the money coming for Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts — and possibly Lamar Jackson, as that saga is heating up in Year 3 — stands to bump the NFC trio down a bit this offseason. For now, however, Jones has secured top-10 quarterback money less than a year after the Giants passed on a $22.4MM fifth-year option.

The Giants entered their extension talks with Jones hoping the price would not hit $35MM per year, but the tag deadline worked in Jones’ favor. As Jones hired new representation, the $45MM-AAV number emerged. That figure floated for multiple weeks, with a report late last week indicating Eli Manning‘s successor was asking for a deal north of that number. The Giants negotiated with Jones’ camp daily at the Combine, and the sides agreed on what could be a nice compromise. Jones will have a chance to work in Brian Daboll‘s offense for the long haul, and the team is expected to pursue receiver upgrades to help its passer.

A neck injury ended Jones’ 2021 season after 11 games. Although the Duke product’s 24 touchdown passes as a rookie — in just 13 games — remain a top-10 all-time mark for first-year passers, he did not show much in the way of development during the 2020 and ’21 seasons. In 14 starts in 2020, Jones threw just 11 TD passes. Considering the 2020 CBA made fifth-year options fully guaranteed, the Giants predictably passed on Jones’. But the dual-threat QB showed long-elusive progress in his contract year. The Giants are making a bet superior weaponry will further unlock the Dave Gettleman-era draftee’s capabilities.

As for Barkley, it will be interesting to see how he responds. The former No. 2 overall pick congratulated Jones on his extension (Twitter link), but he is now attached to a $10.1MM salary after turning down an extension in the $12.5MM-per-year range. The guarantees included in the Giants’ proposal are not known, but it has long been assumed GM Joe Schoen is not expected to offer Barkley a deal in the Christian McCaffrey neighborhood ($16MM AAV). That will create another notable deadline for the Giants, who have until July 17 to extend Barkley. Otherwise, the sides cannot discuss a deal until 2024. A compromise of $14MM per year emerged weeks ago, but the Giants and Barkley are still not believed to be close.

Barkley, 26, is obviously a superior NFL player to Jones. Positional value led the Giants to understandably prioritize the less accomplished player. Barkley’s hot start to the 2022 season — one that ended with the Penn State product totaling 1,650 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns, completing a comeback from an injury-plagued three seasons — earned him an early negotiation slot with Schoen. Like Jones, the new regime was not completely sold on Barkley coming into the year. Trade buzz circulated early during the 2022 offseason, but both Gettleman-era investments earned the new regime’s trust.

The Giants negotiated with Barkley, and not Jones, during their bye week last season. They did not come close on terms, and although Barkley talks resumed before Jones’ negotiations began this offseason, no compromise is imminent. Fortunately, the team had the tag at its disposal to ensure its cornerstone tandem returned. Considering only one player has skipped the season after being tagged since 1998 (Le’Veon Bell, 2018), it is a good bet Barkley will be in uniform for the Giants in 2023.

The Giants entered Tuesday with more than $36MM in cap space. Today’s transactions will eat into that total considerably, with Fowler adding (via Twitter) Jones’ 2023 cap number should come in around $19MM. But the team’s plan to pursue wideouts and potentially bring back Julian Love should not be entirely nixed because of this afternoon’s high-profile transactions.

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