New Details Emerge Regarding Events Leading to Daniel Jones’s Release by Giants

Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had good reason to request his release, and it had nothing to do with any sour grapes.

Nov 8, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) during practice at the FC Bayern Munchen training grounds at Sabener Strasse. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Retired NFL quarterback turned broadcaster Tom Brady decided to criticize former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones during the FOX Sports broadcast of the Giants-Cowboys game on Thanksgiving for how Jones handled his final days before his release.

“I don't know how that whole situation went down,” Brady began during the broadcast, “but to think that you'd ask for a release from a team that committed a lot to you is maybe different than how I would've handled that."

According to a new report by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, there was much more involved that maybe if Brady had ever experienced in his career, might have had him thinking differently.

Per Florio, the Giants suggested that Jones stay away from the team's facility and that Jones would still collect the remainder of his 2024 salary, which was guaranteed regardless of whether he was on the roster. 

The reason behind the Giants' request was to avoid any possibility of Jones suffering an injury while on the team’s property, which, had that happened, would have triggered the $23 million injury guarantee for 2025.

However, Jones wanted to remain involved with the team, doing whatever he could to help. The Giants, meanwhile, couldn’t force Jones to stay away by rule.

As Florio also reported, the team then greatly reduced Jones’s role in practice and his weightlifting activity in the team’s facility to avoid any possibility of an injury that might have triggered the $23 million injury guarantee in his contract for 2025. 

Because of all that, Jones, who has always been one of the hardest-working players on the team and who has never been known to take the easy way out, felt it best to simply request his release, which the Giants granted five days after benching him for Tommy DeVito.  

Jones cleared waivers last Monday and signed last week with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. He reportedly signed for “a little over $100,000,” which could turn into as much as $375,000 if he is added to the 53-man roster. 

In his first comments as a member of the Vikings, Jones spoke of his excitement to be a part of a winning franchise and strong offensive system.

"You look at offensively what they've been able to do, the system, coach [Kevin] O'Connell and his staff. Just a lot of good things happening across the board as a team and organization, and on offense especially," Jones said. "Just excited to join that and help out where I can."

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