WR Chris Olaf, New Orleans Saints. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Daniel Jones hits free agency at a great time after a year out in 2022. These five teams are the best for the 25-year-old quarterback.
The market for quarterbacks is strong in the NFL and Daniel Jones is set to become a free agent in due course. Jones forged a career a year after the New York Giants refused to exercise their fifth-year option on him, putting Jones in position for a huge raise as one of the best quarterbacks slated to enter free agency.
The Giants want to keep Jones and have rejected his reported demands of $45 million annually, which could result in an extension of the non-exclusive franchise label on him. The tag will still allow Jones to negotiate with other teams, who can make a contract that New York will be entitled to match him or allow him to walk in exchange for two first-round picks.
Trade odds could also be in play for Jones, meaning his market wouldn’t end even if the tag was used. Let’s take a look at five good occasions for Jones, starting with the New Orleans Saints.
5. Free agent Daniel Jones – New Orleans Saints
The Saints have been trying to find a long-term answer at quarterback since Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season. Two cents from Andy Dalton and James Winston, along with a side from Taysum Hill, have left New Orleans no closer to a solution than they were the day Brees was suspended about its edges.
The flirtation with Derek Carr has gone nowhere, but the Saints could scout a deal for Jones, who is only 25 and may still have untapped potential after years of poor coaching in New York. New Orleans has plenty of firepower to work with offensively with Alvin Kamara and Chris Olaf leading a talented group of skill position players who are an upgrade on what Jones had to work with in New York.
The addition of a late first-round pick in a Sean Payton trade gives New Orleans the ability to handle many more runs to acquire Jones if they wish. That price is a bit high given Jones’ track record, but a franchise as desperate as the Saints might be willing to pay it.
