Daniel Jones is an NFL quarterback who has spent his entire career with the New York Giants. He’s perhaps best known for his inconsistent and often unreliable performances. However, as a former first-round pick who signed a lucrative nine-figure deal after his rookie contract expired, Jones has made a significant amount of money playing football. At the end of 2023, his net worth was estimated at $25 million.
Early Life and Career
Jones grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, but didn’t garner much acclaim as a quarterback in high school. After initially committing to play at Princeton, Jones decided to stay close to home and became a walk-on at Duke. He didn’t play as a freshman but was thrust into the starting role the following year when starter Thomas Sirk suffered a season-ending injury.
Jones took the starting job and ran with it. He ultimately started three seasons, leading the Blue Devils to a 17-19 record in 36 starts. Despite a lack of wins or postseason awards in college, the Giants selected him sixth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Despite starting his rookie season as the backup to Eli Manning, Jones started 12 games for the Giants in 2019. However, New York was just 3-9 in those starts while Jones led the NFL in fumbles. Jones continued to have ups and downs over the next two years, ultimately missing the tail end of the 2021 season with an injury.
After three seasons, the Giants declined to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option, meaning he entered the 2022 season knowing he would be a free agent after the season. Of course, Jones enjoyed a breakout season, throwing for over 3,200 yards and rushing for over 700 yards. The Giants were 9-6-1 with Jones at quarterback and beat the Vikings in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Jones’ success in 2022 prompted the Giants to give him a four-year, $160 million extension to keep him from becoming a free agent. It also raised expectations with for NY sports betting fans. NY Sports betting has been thriving since online sports betting went live in the state in January 2022. Fans in New York have more than half a dozen options when it comes to sportsbooks if they want to bet on the Giants, and the excitement for legal sports betting was palpable as the state’s handle exceeded $1 billion in each of the first six months.
Unfortunately, with raised expectations, the 2023 season became a disaster. Jones missed two games with a neck injury early in the season and then tore his ACL in Week 8, ending his season. In the six games he started, the Giants were 1-5 with Jones throwing just two touchdown passes compared to six interceptions in those six games.
NFL Career and Earnings
After being drafted sixth overall by the Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jones signed a four-year contract with $25.6 million. That is the standard contract for a player drafted in the top 10. His rookie contract also came with a $16.7 million signing bonus.
After three seasons in the NFL, the Giants declined the fifth-year option on Jones’ rookie contract. That made him a free agent after the 2022 season. But after leading the Giants to a playoff win that season, the team re-signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract in 2023. That deal made Jones one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.
Controversies
Jones’ only controversies involve his on-field performance. Many fans have become frustrated with his inconsistency and would prefer that the Giants move on from him. At the same time, injuries have hindered Jones at times while the 2022 season is evidence that he can succeed in the NFL. This has created a variety of opinions regarding Jones’ future in the NFL and his potential as a quarterback.
Personal Life
Jones has made it a point to keep his personal life private. However, he has been in a relationship with his longtime girlfriend Ella Bonafede since he was in college. Both attended Duke where Jones was on the football team and Bonafede was on the women’s lacrosse team. Bonafede is originally from Long Island, meaning her hometown isn’t far from where Jones plays his home games with the Giants.
Daniel Jones Net Worth 2023
At the end of 2023, Jones reportedly had a net worth of around $25 million. That number figures to grow in the years to come since he is just one year into his four-year, $160 million contract. On top of his NFL salary, Jones has also earned money from endorsement deals with several prominent companies, including Bose, Gatorade, Nike, Pepsi, and Verizon.
Daniel Jones Assets
Despite being worth tens of millions of dollars, there isn’t a lot known about Jones’ assets or any big purchases he may have made. He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, but little is known about his home. The one luxury item that we know about is his Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, he doesn’t appear to have a large car collection like some professional athletes.
Key Takeaway
The biggest takeaway with Jones is that five years into his NFL career, he remains a largely unproven player. He’s led the Giants to just one winning season and has far more losses on his record than wins. Nevertheless, his one good season was enough to get him a lucrative contract that has made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid players. Yet, some consider him to be among the players in NFL history whose performance has not yet justified a nine-figure contract, making him a polarizing figure among fans.