Is Daniel Jones The Most Overpaid QB in The NFL in 2024?

The New York Giants are in a problematic situation. On one hand, they have Daniel Jones slinging passes for them with the third highest salary in 2024, and on the other hand questions about his abilities are at an all time high. In the past few seasons, the quarterback has had some issues with injuries and his form.

He had a painful ACL tear last season that basically finished any hopes the Giants might’ve had. Moreover, the QB wasn”t in the best of playing form before his injury. With all that going on with his game, there is a chance he might be considered the most overpaid quarterback in this year’s league.

After Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones has the third highest base salary in the NFL. The QB starts off with a base salary of $35.5 million. And to add to that, Jones has signed a massive 4 year long contract that gives him $160 million in total. However, with such a heavy contract in his pocket, one would expect Jones to make an outstanding performance. Jones’ 2023 season before his season has been very sub-par.

Before his injury in the 2023, Daniel Jones played 6 games in the regular season. While he couldn’t finish off the season, his numbers before the injury were below average. He had about 909 passing yards with only 2 touchdowns. However, he had an interception every game he played in, recording 6 interceptions before his injury.

Let’s leave Deshaun Watson out of the equation for a second due to his unconventional journey and injury history. Comparing Daniel Jones to Kyler Murray should give a fair assessment of how the top 2 and top 3 highest paid QBs by average salary have fared. And if Jones has been a burden on the New York franchise. Here’s a comparison of the two head to head as far as the main QB stats are concerned:

Is Daniel Jones as bad as they say? Kyler Murray and Jones have comparable salaries but what about the stats? pic.twitter.com/JTPuqoUm6T

— Utsav (@utsav_khanna) July 8, 2024

While an injury is unfortunate, Jones’ manner of play before that wasn’t very convincing. With his inability to make touchdowns happen, the tag of overpaid fits him right now. In contrast, there have been a lot of people who still believe that Daniel Jones is one of the most clutch QBs of the game. But does that statement hold true?

Is Daniel Jones actually a clutch player?

While his recent performance has indicated mediocrity, he has had moment of absolute clutch play. Per the Giants Wire, analysis on CBS sports has gone on to rank him as a top 10 clutch QB of the league. While the top spots are occupied by players Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow, JOnes is 8th on the list. Despite having a mediocre season, the analysts on CBS did give him credit for leading the Giants to a top-10 rate in the last two years.

Moreover, he was responsible for five game winning drives in 2022. With his accolades in the past, it seems like Jones hasthe potential to regain his stature and continue being a clutch QB. It only remains to be seen how he’ll perform in the upcoming season.