đ How the Daniel Jones Experiment Failed
- The Daily Stump
- Nov 23, 2024
- 2 min read
The Giants drafted Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft, they even made the playoffs with him, but where did it all fall apart?
Iâm going to preface this with the following statement: I am in no way whatsoever a QB guru, whisperer, or anything of the like. I am, however, a fan of the game, a studier of humans, and a supporter of underdog stories.
The Giants benched Jones on Monday in favor of Tommy DeVito, and early yesterday decided that it was in the interest of both sides to move on and part ways. Jones ends his tenure with the Giants with a 22-44-1 record, 70 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions. Jones will go through waivers, but it is unlikely any team will claim him and pick up the remainder of the four-year, $160m contract he signed in March of 2023. Once he clears waivers, he will surely find a new home.
To me, itâs never really easy to tell why an NFL team and their young QB failed to match, but usually, thereâs signs. Hereâs a few ideas on the top of noggin as to why this marriage failed:
Lack of confidence from both sides: Yeah I get it, a 4-year, $160m contract is anything but showing a lack of confidence, but something always felt off about this contract. It was almost like the Giants DIDNâT want Jones to sign it. Ever since, it seemed like the organization over-invested, and it was almost like they knew. From Jonesâs end, it seemed like he didnât think the team was going to develop him, find the pieces around him, or trust him long-term. Maybe Iâm wrong, but something always felt off.
The Giants expected too much: Iâd expect a lot of my No. 6 overall pick too, but it seems like the Giants were trying to make Jones into something he wasnât, and it blew up in their face. When Jones was most successful, he was a game manager on steroids. He protected the football, got the ball out quick, used his legs when needed to, and didnât try to do too much. I donât watch a lot of Giants games, but maybe if they tapered back their expectations and simplified his game, he may have not been so awful.
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries: Nothing can derail a career or relationship in the NFL quicker than injury. Jones has had two serious neck injuries and a knee injury. It seemed like Jones has never been fully confident since those injuries, especially the knee problems.
I think the obvious comment is that all of these probably played a factor, among other things, in his release. This all put a lot of stress on the relationship between Jones and Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Things boiled over, quickly, and now Jones is looking for work. Who knows, itâs very possible that this could be great for Jones, similar to what happened for former Giant Saquon Barkley.
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