Do Daniel Jones' performances warrant a $160m contract? Analyzing the Giants QB's NFL career

Daniel Jones has agreed to a deal to extend his contract with the New York Giants after weeks of negotiations.

The quarterback has signed a four-year deal worth $160 million, plus the opportunity to earn an additional $35 million in incentives. This came as a shock to many in the NFL world, who thought Jones' performances did not warrant his contractual demands.

The Giants may have made a mistake when they decided against exercising the fifth-year option on his previous contract. This brought the team and Jones' representation to the negotiating table earlier than perhaps it should, where the two parties had some friction during the early phase of talks.

With an extension agreed, Jones has his eye on the 2023 season. Meanwhile, fans and analysts alike are stuck on the size of the contract.

Daniel Jones has played four seasons with the franchise since being selected as the 6th overall pick in the 2019 draft. Do his performances warrant this massive deal?

Daniel Jones has been enigmatic with the Giants

Philadelphia Eagles v New York Giants

Jones began his career behind Eli Manning after signing a four-year rookie contract worth $25.6 million. However, he started 12 of the 13 games he played that season. Jones finished the season with 3,027 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns on 45 attempts. A very promising start for a rookie.

He was named the starting quarterback the following season, but regressed. He started 14 games in the 2020 campaign, throwing for 2,943 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 423 yards and a touchdown on 65 attempts. In an increasingly pass-heavy league, this regression was sternly critiqued by the media.

The stats didn't get any better in Jones' third season in the NFL. He recorded 2,428 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games, going along with 7 interceptions. That campaign also saw him rush for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns. He, however, made an improvement on his fumbles where he had led the league in his first two seasons (18 with 11 lost, 11 with 6 lost, 7 with 3 lost, respectively).

The 2022 season was Daniel Jones' best in many ways. He had career-high numbers in almost every category, which contributed to this contract. Jones threw for 3,205 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He also rushed for 708 yards and 7 touchdowns on 120 attempts. He fumbled the ball 6 times, 3 of which resulted in a change of possession.

Overall, Daniel Jones has thrown for 11,603 yards, 60 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in the NFL. He has also rushed for 1,708 yards and 12 touchdowns on a total of 292 attempts. He has recorded a passing accuracy of 64% in 54 regular season games.

Philadelphia Eagles v New York Giants

Looking at these stats, Daniel Jones' performances do not warrant a $160 million deal. A 10 passing touchdown season is not hugely inspiring, and it seems the Giants made a mistake in not picking up his fifth-year option. If they had, they would benefit from another year to evaluate him.

What goes in Daniel Jones' favor, however, is that the Giants have been a tumultuous team since he was drafted. He has put up respectable numbers (albeit with some concerns) for three different head coaches with a relatively weak offense. The Giants have seen star running back Saquon Barkley fall victim to a string of injuries and overall, Jones could have done a lot worse.

Daniel Jones currently holds a few franchise records, especially for his rookie season. He has the most pass attempts and the highest percentage for a rookie with 459 and 61.9% respectively. He is also the first Giants quarterback to throw 2500+ passing yards and 400+ rushing in a single season.

With his contract extended for the foreseeable future, Jones will look to prove his nay-sayers wrong and reward his franchise for their trust.