Joe Schoen: We’re not paying Daniel Jones $40 million to pass it on to a $12 million player

The Giants’ decision to let running back Saquon Barkley walk as a free agent was a calculation that, given everything they’ve invested in quarterback Daniel Jones, they wouldn’t pay him to let him go.

That’s how Giants general manager Joe Schoen described it during a staff meeting that aired on the latest episode of Hard knocks. As Schoen explained why he didn’t want to put the franchise tag on Barkley or sign him to a lucrative contract extension, he said it ultimately came down to the $40 million-per-year contract the Giants gave Jones.

“You’re paying this player $40 million. That’s not to give the ball to a guard who’s making $12 million,” Schoen said.

That’s the reality of today’s NFL: Quarterbacks are far more valuable than running backs, and a team that has already invested a lot of cap space in its starting quarterback generally won’t use much of its remaining cap space on a running back. But the question is whether the Giants’ investment in Jones was wise. Schoen acknowledged that the Giants need Jones to prove himself in 2024, the second year of his contract, or the Giants will have to move on.

“This is Daniel’s year,” Schoen said. “The plan all along was to give him a couple of years. Is he our guy for the next 10 years? Or do we need to change course and find someone else?”