Why Giants could replace Daniel Jones with Drew Lock this fall

Some were surprised when the New York Giants spent the sixth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft to acquire LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers instead of either Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. or Michigan Wolverines signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.

For a piece published on Monday, NFL reporter and analyst Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com explained why the four-year contract that Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones signed in March 2023 could cause the club to play backup Drew Lock during the 2024 campaign.

"Here’s the issue with continuing to play a struggling Jones over Lock during a potentially lost 2024 season," Slater said. "Jones' salary for 2025 is $30M. None of that is fully guaranteed right now. But $23M of it is guaranteed against injury."

Thus, the Giants would be on the hook for the $23M if Jones went down with a serious injury at any point during the upcoming campaign. He dealt with a pair of worrisome neck-related problems from the fall of 2021 through this past season before he suffered a torn ACL on Nov. 5. 

Across fewer than six completed games from September through November, Jones completed 67.5 percent of 160 pass attempts for 909 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 206 yards and a score on 40 carries. 

"Of that $23M, almost half ($12M) kicks in as a full guarantee when the new league year begins next March," Slater added about Jones' contract. "So that’s the deadline for making a cut-or-keep decision on Jones, who is due to have a $41.6M cap number in 2025 — about $6M lower than his 2024 cap hit."

Slater was sure to note that a healthy Jones is expected to start for New York ahead of Lock later this year. However, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio mentioned earlier this month that Lock's one-year deal includes $3M in incentives related to playing time and performance. 

Florio indicated the nature of that contract suggests the Giants think, fear or hope that Lock will see significant playing time from Week 1 through Week 18. 

As Slater said, the Giants having a losing record around Thanksgiving Day or in early December could result in general manager Joe Schoen shutting Jones down for the rest of the 2024 season so that the club can part ways with the 26-year-old in March 2025.