Giants CEO Joe Nice faces the big task of keeping the quarterback Daniel Jones and run back Saquon Barkley in the fold for at least the 2023 season. The team’s priorities in terms of signing long-term deals have shifted of late, with the former looking to use its influence to a significant extent. 
Jones has switched agents, as first reported by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). The 25-year-old was represented by CAA but has signed with Athletes First; Such a change typically requires a five-day wait, but CAA has reportedly waived it. The move marks one of several agent changes seen in pending free agents in recent weeks, but could signal Jones’ desire to nail a bigger deal than many had anticipated.
In fact, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that Jones is aiming for more than the Giants have previously offered. Specifically, he notes that Jones’ request for a deal could average “up to $45 million per season.” That would mark a steep price increase compared to the $35 million-per-year region where a new contract is expected. It would, of course, also be a much larger number than what the non-exclusive franchise label ($32.4 million means MM) would cost for 2023.
Five signal callers currently have an average of $45 million or more on their current contracts, including First Athlete’s client Deshaun Watson. However, his historic fully guaranteed deal was widely viewed as an outlier compared to other QB mega deals and was signed in very different circumstances than those Jones and the Giants are currently in. The Duke alum had the best year of his career in 2022, but his previous struggles made it easy for the team to turn down his fifth-year option last offseason.
This now leaves them in the position that a multi-year deal is the best option to keep Barkley on the books as well. The running back franchise tag is a fraction of the cost of quarterbacks and would save the Giants significant cap space if Barkley stayed through that route in 2023. That could delay contract talks with him (which suggest the 26-year-old could sign a deal worth about $14 million a year) until the next offseason, where there may be clarity for the Giants on performance and resulted in injuries.
While Florio’s update is certainly notable, one from the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz jibes with previous accounts of Jones’ situation. He notes that the “baseball” contract the team is eyeing is five years and $190 million, which translates to a $38 million AAV. Spreading the cap across such a pact would give the Giants valuable flexibility and validate their stated goal of moving forward with him as their franchise QB. However, the negotiations could now take an interesting turn as a free hand draws closer.