Daniel Jones wants to be back with Giants, believes he proved he could be franchise QB

Daniel Jones believed he did enough during the 2022-23 season to prove to the Giants that he could be their franchise quarterback of the future after leading them to a surprising nine-win season and the Divisional Round before bowing out to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

“Yeah I do,” he said on Sunday. “I think I improved as a player this year. As an offense, we proved a lot throughout the year. I’m proud of that.”

The 25-year-old passer is headed toward free agency this offseason after putting together a career campaign in Year No. 4 of his career — the first under the new regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

Not only did he post career bests in completion percentage (67.2%), passing yards (3,205), and interceptions (five), but he rushed for 708 yards to prove that he’s one of the more dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the league.

Whether or not it’s enough for a long-term commitment from Schoen and Daboll remains to be seen, obviously, but Jones admitted that his representation and Giants management have had some conversations throughout the season, describing them as “positive.”

“They think I’ve made a lot of improvement this year,” Jones said. “I’ll let them speak for themselves when it comes to that kind of stuff.”

New York Giants’ Daniel Jones (8) runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J.AP Photo/Bryan Woolston

The plan, according to Jones, is that he’ll take some time to “regroup and refresh” before entering the arena that is contract negotiations.

“We’ll see how it all plays out. There’s a lot that goes into that and that’s down the road,” Jones said. “This season is still very fresh… we have to digest that and think about things going forward… I wouldn’t say [contract talks are] my favorite part of it. You play for the love of the game, you play for the opportunity to dedicate yourself to something and work to improve as a player, as a person.

“To me, that’s what it’s about. That’s why you do it. But at the same time, at this level, it is a business and you can’t ignore that piece of it. You have to do it and I understand it.”

While he certainly didn’t speak with the same kind of certainty that fellow-soon-to-be-free-agent Saquon Barkley exuded when talking about his future with the Giants, Jones still relayed the desire to remain with the team that drafted him No. 6 overall four years ago.

“I love this place, I enjoyed my time here,” Jones said. “I want to be here. I think there’s a business side to it all and a lot of that I can’t control. I love and respect this organization… and the guys in this locker room. I’d love to be here.”