Daniel Jones contract: Path to $45 million follows Kirk Cousins’ footsteps

Daniel Jones needs to accept franchise tag or one-year deals to get to $45 million

There’s a high likelihood that Daniel Jones receives the franchise tag from the New York Giants this season. While playing out a year on the tag is an undesirable situation for most players, Jones should be somewhat pleased with it if his long-term goal is a salary in the $45 million ballpark.

A year on the tag allows Jones to stay within his current system and continue proving he has what it takes to be a successful quarterback — individual or team success both could work, as Cousins proved — which will give some time for the market to grow.

A Joe Burrow contract extension is likely on its way. That extension is going to be massive, and the Cincinnati Bengals have already made dramatic moves to make themselves liquid enough to get him a guaranteed deal.

That contract could be big enough to entirely shake up the quarterback market. Right now, $45 million is way out of bounds for what Jones has proven.

But a year from now, Jones very well could prove he’s worthy of more than he is now. On the other side, the market could also come down, and it could meet right at that $40-45 million range for Jones. Right now $45 million is a stretch, but with every major quarterback extension, it helps other quarterbacks sell the league on the idea of them as worthy of more.

In a way, the franchise tag could be the best way for Jones to get his desired money. He just has to look to Kirk Cousins for proof that it’s possible.