The stalemate between the New York Giants and Daniel Jones has ended – in the nick of time.
Jones agreed to a four-year, $160 million contract on Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports, with the news breaking just minutes before the 4 p.m. ET deadline for NFL teams to franchise tag players. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been finalized.
With the pact in place, the Giants instead placed the franchise tag on two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley.
General manager Joe Schoen said the Giants made Jones' deal a priority this offseason, and the two sides had been meeting for weeks to hammer out the deal.
The Giants, under previous general manager Dave Gettleman, selected Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Duke to ultimately replace Eli Manning.
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For the first three seasons of Jones' career, the Giants struggled offensively for a variety of reasons – one being Jones' issues with turnovers turning the ball over (36 fumbles, 29 interceptions).
Schoen opted last April not to pick up Jones' fifth-year option, leaving the passer a potential free agent after 2022, as he wanted to use last season as an evaluation period. Jones performed with aplomb.
In Daboll's offense and with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka's play-calling, Jones led the Giants to their first playoff berth since 2016. He had a career-best 67.2% completion percentage and became a true threat in the run game, with 708 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He also limited his turnovers to eight.
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