New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen’s top priority this offseason is to keep impending free agent quarterback Daniel Jones in blue for years to come.
That means signing him to a long-term contract before the franchise tag window closes next Tuesday or simply applying the $32.4 million tag on Jones and then working from there.
Schoen admitted in an interview on the NFL Network that time is waning and progress on a new deal is far from imminent.
“You’re starting to feel the time crunch a little bit,” Schoen said. “I wish we were a little bit closer on a deal than what we are right now. But again, there’s still time. We’re gonna circle back up again (on Thursday) at some point and meet with his representatives.”
Either way, Jones is in for a big payday and his contract — whatever it may be — is certain to take a big bite of the Giants’ $44 million available cap space.
A market-rate deal for Jones is also certain to hinder Schoen’s ability to retain other key free agents such as running back Saquon Barkley and safety Julian Love.
But that’s the business side of the NFL. And it’s also a message Schoen left Jones with during the team’s exit meetings in January.
“This is his first time going through free agency, and I just told him there’s a business side to this, too, that you haven’t been exposed to,” Schoen recalled. “So just understand it’s gonna get worse before it gets better, we’ll find a way to bridge the gap, and it doesn’t change the way we feel about you. So take out any type of personal or emotional and just understand it’s a business. And hopefully we’ll find a comfortable landing spot for both parties.”
Right now, the Giants and Jones are arguably in the worst spot that they’ve been in.
