In the fast-paced world of professional sports, timing is everything. Blink for a second, and you could lose out on a game changer for your team. Not only is this true on the field, teams need to be quick off the field as well. The New York Giants almost faced severe repercussions this offseason, after a tech issue nearly made the team miss out on their prized offseason move of extending Daniel Jones to a massive contract.
Jones was signed to a four-year, $160 million deal, with the potential to reach $195 million through incentives, by the Giants this offseason. With the record-setting figures of the deal, the Giants were certainly delighted by retaining their top prospect and lottery pick QB. But it all could have vanished in the blink of an eye for the Giants.
A race against time to secure Daniel Jones
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As the clock approached the 4 PM ET signing deadline following which the team would lose out on the opportunity to sign Jones to a long term deal or apply the franchise tag, tensions were high in the Giants front office. If the team were to miss the deadline, they would run the risk of their prized 6th overall pick from three seasons ago walking away for nothing.
With the clock ticking, the Giants’ front office was confronted with an all-too-familiar dilemma: unreliable Wi-Fi. Giants general manager Joe Schoen candidly admitted in a March interview with Forbes, “One of our guys was saying, ‘I don’t trust the Wi-Fi. We’ve got to get this in.’ So, that was real.” The looming threat of a Wi-Fi failure loomed large over the critical contract negotiations. The team found themselves cutting it dangerously close to the deadline. Emails were prepared, contingencies were planned, but uncertainty lingered in the air.
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Giants set their future in stone with record-setting contract
Despite the nail-biting circumstances, the Giants’ determination prevailed. The stars aligned, and Daniel Jones’s colossal contract finally materialized right in the nick of time. The Giants, Schoen, and Jones breathed a collective sigh of relief as the best-case scenario unfolded before them. Having handed out a nearly $200 Million deal, however, Schoen and the Giants know that the contract has set up the foreseeable future for the Giants.
The massive contract will occupy a significant portion of New York’s cap space, restricting their potential moves in the offseason and their future. After Jones led the team to their first playoff appearance in over 6 seasons, the team validated the QB with his massive contract. However, as the doubt surrounding Jones’ position as a top QB continues to grow, only time will tell if Schoen and the Giants ended up making the right decision by handing out the mammoth contract which will see Jones earning nearly $40 Million a year prior to incentives.
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