New York Giants backing Daniel Jones with new resume
The New York Giants are rebuilding. However they aren’t ready to give up on quarterback Daniel Jones after three subpar seasons.
Daniel Jones still has the support of the most important man associated with the New York Giants.
Jones, who has been embattled through his first three seasons after being the No. 6 overall pick out of Duke University, isn’t being replaced despite a regime change in Gotham. On Wednesday, during the introductory press conference for new general manager Joe Schoen, owner John Mara spoke about Jones and the swirling speculation of the team being interested in trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
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Watson, who was made inactive for the entire 2021 season by Houston as he sorts through 22 civil suits of alleged sexual assault, is not on the Giants radar. Mara made that clear, per ESPN:
“We’re not trading for Deshaun Watson. There are so many reasons why we wouldn’t do that. Cap-wise, we couldn’t afford [the acquisition], but more importantly, with the allegations that are out there right now, that is just not the right fit for us.”
Jones, 24, looked like his potential was considerable during his rookie year. In 12 starts, Jones threw 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions on a bad team, throwing for 3,027 yards. However, 2020 saw a downturn. The former Blue Devils star went for only 2,943 yards and 11 touchdowns with 10 interceptions across 14 games. Then, this season, Jones posted 2,428 yards with 10 scoring strikes and seven picks across 11 contests, despite the team investing significant free-agent dollars and draft ammunition in the offensive weaponry.
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For Schoen, the job is clear. Find the next head coach in New York, and then start working on building around Jones. With a decision coming on his fifth-year option — which won’t be guaranteed for anything but injury — sometime this spring, the Giants are more motivated than ever to give Jones all possible support before making a move to either cut bait or extend him.
The good news? New York has a pair of first-round picks after trading with the Chicago Bears last year in the move allowing them to nab Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. The Giants will have ample draft capital to beef up their leaky offensive line and perhaps add a defensive playmaker. If Schoen can succeed and find rookies who make an immediate impact, it’ll help evaluate Jones in a better setting.
After three years, Jones has an uncertain future. We’ll know plenty after 2022.
