The Giants re-signed running back Brandon Jacobs to a very fair, very reasonable four-year, $25 million contract Wednesday night. The deal includes $15 million in the first two years and $13 million in guarantees.
The G-Men placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jacobs in mid-February, which meant he could have negotiated with other teams, although New York would have received two first round picks if he had signed elsewhere. Given his age (26) and bruising running style most teams covet, he could have easily gotten more than $25 million on the open market and may have even scored a five or six-year contract.
But he stated all along that he wanted to remain a Giant and this proves his loyalty to the franchise that selected him in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. And given his bruising style and injury history, the contract that he received is quite fair. The time of the deal helps the Giants, because by the time he becomes a free agent in four years, Jacobs will reach the dreaded age of 30 for running backs.
This deal was handled extremely well on both sides and it’s a shame more contracts aren’t constructed as intelligently.
