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Adam Schefter, senior writer at ESPN
Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is expected to clear waivers on Monday and have a new home on a one-year deal sooner rather than later, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.
No team is expected to claim the balance of Jones’ contract – $11,833,333 for this season in addition to $23 million in injury guarantees after this season – making him officially free to sign with another team after 4 pm ET on Monday.
Jones, who was officially released Saturday by the Giants, is expected to have multiple options, but will likely prefer to finish this season on a playoff-contending team, where he will play in important games, rather than go to a meandering, needy team. quarterbacks. is not even remotely in the hunt for the playoffs, according to sources.
Several playoff contending teams will likely inquire about Jones and his level of interest, but it won’t be long before Jones finishes the season somewhere other than New York.
New York announced its intention to part ways with Jones on Friday, ending the former first-round pick’s tenure with the Giants after more than five seasons. Giants owner John Mara said in a statement that the organization and Jones “mutually agreed” that the move “would be in his and the team’s best interest.”
Once the Giants informed Jones earlier this week that they were benching him, events surrounding the quarterback happened quickly.
Jones was effectively no longer on the depth chart because the Giants wouldn’t run any risk of injury, with Tommy DeVito starting, Drew Lock the backup and newly signed Tim Boyle on the third string.
Jones took individual reps and even helped the team when he played scout team safety in Thursday’s practice during a walk-through, before requesting and being released on Friday.
None of this should have been too surprising; Similar scenarios played out four times in the NFL over the past two seasons before the Giants’ turn with Jones this week.
Last season in Denver, the Broncos benched Russell Wilson before he could suffer an injury and trigger a $37 million guarantee for 2024.
Also last season, the Raiders benched Jimmy Garoppolo rather than risk injuring the quarterback, which could have guaranteed an additional $11.25 million that would have been due this season.
In 2022, the Colts benched Matt Ryan in October, lessening the risk of having to pay the veteran quarterback a $7.5 million roster bonus in March 2023.
Later that year, the Raiders benched Derek Carr to prevent his $32.9 million salary for the 2023 season and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary from being guaranteed if he suffered a major injury.
Now Jones and the Giants have expedited their divorce, freeing the quarterback to find a new home next week. One team unlikely to pursue Jones at this time is the Eagles, who already signed former Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
Barkley was selected second overall by the Giants in the 2018 draft, a year before New York used the No. 6 pick on Jones. The two-time Pro Bowler said he’s been in touch with his former teammate and knows bright days lie ahead for Jones.
“Our friendship has remained close throughout the process of my time here,” Barkley told reporters Friday. “It sucks to see how everything went for him there. I have nothing but good things to say about him. You really won’t find anyone who can say negative things about him.
“It’s the NFL. Hopefully, wherever I end up next, they’ll find someone to come and work. It didn’t work out for me there and I’m doing well here. Hopefully I can do it.” find the same new beginning and the same success.
