Daniel Jones says he’s ready for pressures that come with massive extension with Giants

Daniel Jones has a reputation for being calm under pressure and after signing his four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Giants on Tuesday, he said he’s ready for the expectations that come along with it. The headlines have already started to grace the pages of New York’s back pages that Jones needs to play like a franchise QB since he’s being paid like one.

When the Giants QB spoke with reporters on Wednesday, that didn’t seem to phase him.

“I’ve always felt that responsibility. And playing this position, especially for a team like the New York Giants and this city, you have that responsibility,” Jones said. “And I take that very seriously. It certainly doesn’t change. I certainly do feel that, and it’s my goal to earn that every day and in the offseason while we’re preparing for the season and when we get to the season, doing my best and preparing this team to win games and me to put us in a position to do that.

“Yeah, I take that responsibility very seriously.”

The Giants and Jones had taken talks up until the wire, quite literally. Jones said that it had been 3:53 or 3:54 p.m. at the team’s facility when his agent came to tell him about the deal.

While Jones never said outright that he felt there was a point that he may not get a long-term deal done, he alluded to it in saying his confidence was higher at certain points than at others.

“It was always my goal and my hope that we’d find a way to work it out and that they’d bring me back. I’m excited about that,” Jones said. “I think you go through times where you’re more confident, times where you’re less confident. But it was always my goal and hope to be back.”

Jons’ saga had been one of the most followed stories thus far in the NFL offseason and had plenty of implications beyond just himself. What occurred with Jones directly impacted running back Saquon Barkley and any new potential contract for him.

During the process, Jones said that he was trying to balance what he felt he deserved in a new deal and what was best for the Giants.

“In a situation like this, you’re trying to do what’s best for you and your family while also balancing being part of a team and understanding the goals and vision that we have as a team and as an organization. That was certainly important to me throughout the deal,” Jones said. “And I think we found a way to do both those things and to do it the right way for both sides. That was certainly important to me. Saquon – I’ve said it, he means a ton to me as a teammate, as a friend. And he means a ton to us as a player. So, I won’t talk about his business. But that was a piece of it, too.”

The Giants and Jones didn’t discuss adding any help for him when it comes to receivers. Jones said he was “focused on my business.”