What’s behind Jones’ agent switch for negotiations?
NEW YORK — Daniel Jones has changed agencies from CAA to Athletes First for his big contract negotiation with the Giants.
There are many layers to this news, which was first reported by ESPN’S Jordan Raanan. There is misinformation out there about what it means, and there is plenty that remains unknown.
The Daily News spent the last couple of days on the phone to figure out what happened, where everything stands and what’s on the horizon.
Here is what we found:
1. Jones did not break off an ongoing negotiation to switch agencies. His agent change delayed the start of the negotiations. As of Monday afternoon, the Giants had not negotiated yet on a contract extension with anyone representing Jones.
2. Profootballtalk’s Mike Florio reported that Jones wants “possibly as much as $45 million per year.” Again, negotiations hadn’t started as of Monday, so that salary demand hasn’t been a part of any official negotiation yet.
3. A former NFL GM told the Daily News in January
that Jones’ contract should come in “between $35-38 million” per season. But the $40 million-a-year average annual value has become a threshold in the quarterback market. There are eight QBS making $40 million per year or more.
4. The Giants want to re-sign Jones long term, and Jones wants to be compensated like a top player at his position. So neither side wants Jones on the franchise tag this season. A $32.4 million, one-year contract would come way
short of the money and security Jones seeks. And owing Jones $32.4 million in cap and cash in 2023 would limit Giants GM Joe Schoen’s ability to upgrade the roster around his quarterback.
5. If the Giants are forced to tag Jones and there is no hope for compromise on a long-term contract, there is a possibility that could put Schoen and the Giants in the NFL Draft quarterback market this April. The Giants hold the No. 25 overall pick, so taking a QB in the first round would require an expensive trade up. Schoen does hold nine draft picks this year, though.
6. There are creative ways for a team and player to get to a number that allows the agent to set a new contract benchmark and still give the team some breathing room. Josh Allen’s six-year extension with the Bills in August 2021 negotiated by CAA, for example, included the ability to reach a total of $288 million at an average of $48 million per year if he hit $30 million in incentives.
7. There are more common and direct ways to get to a number, too, which could be how Jones is thinking. Three QBS — Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford — got a more straightforward four years for $160 million ($40 million per) with fewer bells and whistles in recent years.
7. One league source said it is interesting that the Giants have only had to negotiate with CAA on franchise quarterbacks in the last two decades between Eli Manning’s entire career and Daniel Jones’ rookie deal.
8. Jones’ agency move is surprising in part because 18 months ago, you could have counted on one hand how many people not in Jones’ family still believed in him, and his previous representatives were among those few. Instead, he will now be represented by the impressive Athletes First team of Brian Murphy, Andrew Kessler and Camron Hahn, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. It is not clear when exactly the tipping point occurred. It’s worth noting, however, that many of Jones’ close friends or teammates are Athletes First clients.
9. The Giants’ preference is to re-sign both Jones and RB Saquon Barkley to multiyear contracts at salaries that provide the team with flexibility to keep rebuilding a barebones roster. When Schoen said “we’re happy Daniel’s gonna be here,” he tipped his hand that the plan was to bring Jones back to the team regardless if they locked him up long term or not.
10. Even with Jones’ high-profile agent switch, it still feels more likely than not that the Giants will get a contract extension done with their quarterback. It’s hard to say the same definitively about Barkley. A recent ESPN report said $14 million a year might get a Barkley deal done, citing a source close to the negotiations.