The next step in Daniel Jones' career is starting to come into focus.
The 27-year-old veteran quarterback, who was waived by the Giants on Friday and officially waived on Saturday, was claimed off waivers on Monday and is expected to find new ground on a one-year deal sooner rather than later. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
No team is expected to claim Jones' contract balance of $11,833,333 for this season and $23 million in injury guarantees after this season.
If that's the case, as expected, Jones will be officially cleared to sign with another team after 4pm ET on Monday.
Sources told ESPN that Jones wants a playoff contender, not a team without a quarterback.
The paper said some potential candidates are likely to inquire about Jones and that a new team is likely to be established relatively soon.
Jones, the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, started 70 games during an eventful five-and-a-half season with the Giants.
The former Duke signalman's highlight came in the 2022-23 season when he led Big Blue to a 31-24 victory over the Vikings in the wild-card round, only to lose to the Eagles 38-7 the following week. in the NFC Divisional Round.
The remainder of Jones' tenure with the Giants was filled with losses, poor play, and injuries.
Giants owner John Mara said in a statement Friday about Jones, who went just 24-44-1 as the team's starting quarterback, “Daniel is a great player who represents our organization and is a great player in every aspect. It was top notch.”
Mara also said in a statement that the Giants and Jones “mutually agreed” the move was “in the best interest of him and the team.”
The Giants benched Jones on Monday and notified him that it was only a matter of time before his tenure with the team ended.
That's because the Giants have Tommy DeVito as the starter, Drew Lock as backup, and newly signed Tim Boyle as the third-teamer, so Jones is effectively off the roster because the Giants don't want to risk an injury. Because of this.
Jones served as a personal rep during Thursday's practice and also helped the team when he handled the scout team's safety during a walkthrough before being asked to leave.
“They're trying to make a difference, and it shows,” an emotional Jones said at a news conference Thursday before he was granted Friday's release. “Definitely not happy about that. That's not what you want to hear. All those emotions you have. We're in a business where we're expected to get results, but We didn't do that. We need to accept that and understand that.”
