The New York Giants football team is coming off its best season since 2016, finishing with a 9-7-1 record, securing its playoff spot and making it all the way to the NFC Divisional Round before a heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

First year coach Brian Daboll is responsible for the change, bringing toughness, leadership and wisdom to a Giants franchise that has been lacking in all those departments. Daboll is the fourth head coach hire since Tom Coughlin left in 2015.

Saquon  Barkley, after battling numerous injuries over the past two seasons, put the league on notice once again, leading his team in both rushing yards and touchdowns. He ranked fourth this year in most yards run by a running back in the NFL with 1,312 yards.

Quarterback Daniel Jones had his best year as a pro, throwing 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions with a 66% pass completion rate. He rushed for seven touchdowns and was fifth in most rushing yards by a Quarterback this season.

Now entering the offseason, both Jones and Barkley are on the last year of their contracts and hitting free agency. The Giants would love to bring both players back under new contracts but cannot afford to pay both what they want simultaneously, so they are looking to sign one and place the franchise tag on the other.

All Giants fans want General Manager Joe Schoen to keep his focus on Barkley to build for the future, but what about Jones? Reports came in earlier this week from Jones’s representatives that he is seeking $45 million per year in his next deal, which is outrageous to say the least.

For the past three years, he has been one of the league leaders in turnovers coming from either interceptions or fumbles and has led the Giants to three losing seasons. He is not a quarterback that is worth $45 million per year. Re-signing him at that price will cripple the Giants when it comes time to extending contracts for current players or luring in high value free agents.

The Giants announced on March 5 that they are planning to place the franchise tag on Jones if a deal is not made by March 7. However, the Giants will still give him a fully guaranteed $32.4 million for one year, a ridiculous sum.

When it comes to professional athletes getting paid, the main questions franchises ask are what have you done and what will you continue to do? Jones has proved nothing in this league. If the Giants want to plan for the future, they should let Jones walk and test out what quarterbacks are available in free agency or in the upcoming draft.