Daniel Jones had a game to forget in the 49ers' Week 3 win over the New York Giants on Thursday night at Levi's Stadium.
Jones completed 22 of 32 pass attempts for 137 passing yards and an interception in the 30-12 loss and went viral for all the wrong reasons.
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The San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver spoke to multiple 49ers defenders, who were critical of Jones' performance and the eye-popping four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed with the Giants in the offseason.
“The dude did not want to throw the ball,” one 49ers defender told Silver, shaking his head. “Early on, you could tell it wasn’t gonna happen. Everything was a checkdown. At that point, we knew what time it was.”
Jones struggled early on in his NFL career and was susceptible to turnovers. The 49ers' defense was hungry for takeaways and came away with just one, a fourth-quarter interception tipped into the hands of safety Talanoa Hufanga.
“Hell yeah, we were trying to get that b---h,” linebacker Dre Greenlaw told Silver — referring to the football. “A lot of people who make all that money don’t even deserve it. I think they took a chance [when they paid him]. I mean, he’s not bad. And if you ain’t got nothing better …”
San Francisco 49ers
Jones, on average, will earn approximately $40 million per season, which is more than any player on the field, including 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa, who will earn on average $34 million per season after signing his record deal.
“Yeah,” cornerback Charvarius Ward told Silver, “$40 million a year is a lot of money.”
Another 49ers defender told Silver that Jones’ salary is “unbelievable.” Another used the word “ridiculous," while a third said: “That’s a travesty, man.”
Meanwhile, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who outperformed Jones in every way on Thursday night, will earn $870,000 in 2023.
The NFL is a business ... and a funny one at that.