So, you’re sitting there, wondering: are the New York Giants still paying Daniel Jones? It’s like asking if your ex is still on your Netflix account—awkward, financially confusing, and you kind of want to look away. But stick with me, because this tale of guaranteed money, cap hits, and shattered dreams is actually hilarious (for non-Giants fans, anyway).
The Short, Painful Answer
Yes. The Giants are absolutely still paying Daniel Jones. In fact, they’re paying him to not play for them. That’s the NFL dream, baby: get benched, get cut, and still cash checks like a lottery winner.
When the Giants released him in November 2024, it wasn’t a clean breakup. It was like one of those messy divorces where one person moves out but still pays the mortgage—except the mortgage here is $22 million. Ouch.
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What’s Left on the Contract?
Here’s the fun part: Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million deal in 2023. I know, I know—take a moment to laugh. The Giants guaranteed him $82 million at signing, and they’ve already paid out a chunk. But because they cut him, they’re on the hook for dead cap money.
That dead cap hit is like a ghost that haunts the salary cap. In 2025, the Giants will still have a $22.2 million cap charge for Jones. He doesn’t even have to put on cleats. He could be eating nachos on his couch, and the Giants are writing him a check.
So yes, they’re paying him. This year, next year, and maybe the year after that, too. It’s the gift that keeps on giving—for Jones, not for Giants fans.
Why Didn’t They Just Keep Him?
Oh, you sweet summer child. They tried! But Jones got hurt (again) and then got benched for Tommy DeVito, who sounds like a mobster but is actually a quarterback. Once you bench a $160 million man, the relationship is toast.
The Giants had two choices: keep paying him for four more years of mediocrity, or cut him and eat the dead cap. They chose the dead cap. It’s like choosing between stepping on a Lego or swallowing a whole Lego—both hurt, but one ends faster.
Giants paying for Daniel Jones' potential over production
So now, Jones is a free agent, signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a backup. He’s getting a one-year deal from them for a tiny fraction of what the Giants owe him. Plus, he’s still collecting $22 million from New York. Talk about a side hustle!
The Lighter Side of a Capocalypse
Let’s put this in perspective. The Giants are paying Daniel Jones more than some starting quarterbacks earn. He’s making more money not playing for them than many people will make in a lifetime. And he’s chilling in Minnesota with a clipboard.
Imagine your boss fired you, but then continued to pay your salary for three years. You’d probably take that money and buy something silly, like a solid gold toilet. It’s absurd, and that’s what makes it so funny.
The Giants’ cap situation is now a cautionary tale for every NFL team. It’s like the fable of “Don’t Overpay a QB With One Good Playoff Win.” The moral? Do not hand a blank check to a guy who trips over his own feet while running.
Will the Pain Ever End?
Eventually, yes. That dead cap money will disappear after 2026, when the Giants will finally be free of Daniel Jones’s financial ghost. But until then, every Giants fan should just keep a sense of humor about it.
Giants, Daniel Jones agree to 4-year, $160 million deal
Every time you see Jones on the Vikings’ sideline holding a helmet, just whisper, “That’s $22 million of our cap space right there.” It’s like a terrible party trick. But hey, at least he’s not throwing interceptions for you anymore!
Some clever fan even started a GoFundMe joke to help the Giants pay off his contract. It raised, like, $4. That’s almost enough for a hot dog at MetLife Stadium!
The Uplifting Conclusion
So, are the Giants still paying Daniel Jones? Yes, they are. And it’s okay. It’s okay because this is the cycle of life in the NFL: sometimes you swing, sometimes you miss, and sometimes you swing so hard you fall into a pile of guaranteed money.
The Giants are a proud franchise with a bright future. They’ll draft a new quarterback, probably trade for someone exciting, and in a few years, this whole Jones ordeal will be a hilarious footnote. You’ll look back and laugh about the time the Giants paid a guy more than the GDP of a small country to throw wobbly passes and get benched.
And Daniel Jones? He’s living the dream. He’s getting paid by two teams at once, he’s not getting sacked every other play, and he can still say, “I was an NFL starting quarterback.” Not many of us can say that—especially not with a $22 million severance package.
So raise a glass to Daniel Jones. Cheers to the man who turned a bad contract into a beautiful, hilarious, and oddly inspiring story. And if you’re a Giants fan, don’t cry. Just remember: the cap pain is temporary, but the laughter is forever. Now go enjoy some football!