The New York Giants suddenly have one of the more interesting quarterback situations in the NFL, but not for good reasons.
The Giants raised eyebrows last week when they signed former Seattle Seahawks QB Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million deal. In the days since, there’s been conflicting information on whether New York views Lock as a threat to rehabbing starter Daniel Jones. Let’s go over all of it.
What Seahawks GM Said About Daniel Jones-Drew Lock Situation
This also started when Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider suggested Lock could compete for Jones’ job.
“They basically sold him on the opportunity to compete to be the starter,” Schneider said when asked about Lock during a Seattle radio interview. “And he felt like it was the right opportunity. He looked at Baker Mayfield’s opportunity last year and felt that this could be something similar.”
It’s unclear whether Schneider was indicating Lock could engage in an actual QB competition, or just be given a chance to play if Jones isn’t fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered last November. But the note about Mayfield potentially offers a clue on how Lock feels about his opportunity with the Giants.
Either way, Lock tried to quiet the noise during his introductory news conference.
What Drew Lock Said About Competing With Daniel Jones
Lock obviously read Schneider’s remarks. And he knows the Giants and their fans must have doubts about the 26-year-old Jones, who’s been an average-at-best quarterback for most of his career and struggled last season before injuring his knee.
But Lock, 27, said all the right things Friday when he met with New York reporters for the first time since joining the Giants.
“Daniel Jones is the starter of this team,” Lock said. “That’s been conveyed to me.”
Of course, Lock wasn’t going to confirm a QB competition during his first news conference with his new team. But we’ll just have to take him at his word.
That said, the sixth-year pro, who’s 9-14 as a starter, doesn’t lack confidence or cockiness. You can bet he has every intention of earning a chance to start for the Giants.
What Reports Say About Giants’ QB Situation
As of Monday afternoon, there weren’t any credible reports indicating the Giants view Lock as a potential starter. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe became the latest insider to throw cold water on the speculation.
“Let’s get this out of the way: Daniel Jones is expected to be the New York Giants’ starting quarterback as soon as he’s healthy enough to assume the role,” Howe wrote Monday. “… Lock, indeed, was not offered a chance to compete for the starting job, according to a league source.
“The Giants did sell him on the idea of working with head coach Brian Daboll, who has a quarterback-friendly system that led to Jones’ best season in 2022.”
Ultimately, these reports should be taken with a grain of salt. The Giants aren’t going to leak an anti-Jones narrative to the press while he’s trying to rehab a torn ACL.
What really matters is how things look in training camp — and whether a third QB is in the mix.
Is Daniel Jones on Borrowed Time in New York?
Jones isn’t the presumed Giants starter because he’s overwhelmingly deserving of the job. It’s because of the money, and the lack of better options.
Jones, drafted sixth overall in 2019, largely struggled in his first three seasons before breaking out in 2022. The end result was an insane four-year, $160 million contract which the Giants surely regret, as Jones looked like his usual, middling self in 2023 before injuring his knee.
But the Giants have an out. Kind of.
Jones isn’t going anywhere this offseason. Releasing him would create an enormous dead salary cap charge, and nobody’s trading for him. However, next offseason could be a different story.
Jones has a base salary of $30 million for the 2025 season. But $23 million of it is guaranteed for injury, with $12 million vesting into a full guarantee at the start of the 2025 new league year.
Basically, it could be the Russell Wilson-Denver Broncos situation all over again. If Jones plays poorly, the Giants could bench him to ensure he doesn’t suffer an injury that would trigger all of the guaranteed money. New York also wouldn’t incur nearly as large of a dead cap hit by releasing Jones as Denver did by cutting Wilson.
So, Jones could be on borrowed time in New York. And many Giants fans have their sights set on the 2024 NFL Draft.
KEEP READING: NFL Post-Free Agency Power Rankings
New York owns the No. 6 overall pick, which might be high enough to land three of the top four QB prospects: Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or J.J. McCarthy. Most experts believe at least four quarterbacks will be selected within the top 10 picks, and the Giants could be in the mix.
With all that said, New York probably should use the pick to select either a receiver or a tackle to put Jones and/or Lock in a better position to succeed in 2023. There’s a chance, albeit slim, that Jones recaptures his 2022 form next season.
But if Jones struggles, a backup — be they Lock or a developmental rookie — will be waiting in the wings.
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