Few starting quarterbacks face as much criticism as Daniel Jones. The New York Giants QB plays in a big market, one that isn’t very forgiving when players struggle. That comes with the territory in the Big Apple. However, it doesn’t help that Jones has been supported by a lackluster offensive line that allowed 20 more sacks than any other NFL team last season.
The $160 million man who was the sixth overall pick in 2019 has played more than 14 games just once, in 2022, when he led the Giants to the Divisional Round. You know who doesn’t have a playoff win? Former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. But “Danny Dimes” does.
However, Jones is coming off a season-ending ACL injury in what was shaping up to be his worst year as a pro yet. The NFL is all about what you’ve done lately, and the truth is, Jones was having a rough season. But that doesn’t mean his past resume can be forgotten entirely, yet that’s exactly what seems to have happened in New York. But not everyone feels that way, including one of his top receivers.
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Darius Slayton throws support behind Daniel Jones as New York Giants QB
It’s easy to pile on Daniel Jones, especially when he’s coming off an underwhelming season that saw him begin with a 1-5 record. His ugly Week 2 preseason performance didn’t help, throwing what might have been the worst pick-6 of the young season.
But Giants receiver Darius Slayton doesn’t feel the criticism that his quarterback has faced is fair. In fact, he thinks it’s the product of a negative narrative that’s been formed around the Giants QB. Once that snowball starts rolling downhill, it’s hard to stop. But Slayton is doing his best to get in the way.
“It’s easy to say negative things once there’s a negative narrative around a person. But it doesn’t always make it — well, in this case it doesn’t make it true. Nor does he see him on a day-in, day-out basis.”
Darius Slayton on Daniel Jones (New York Daily News)
We’ve seen time and time again where a player is written off and overlooked, only to see them turn the tides around. The Giants hope this is exactly what happens with their franchise quarterback. Otherwise, they’ll be starting over in 2025, possibly with another first-round QB, which is always a gamble.
- Daniel Jones contract: $41M cap hit in 2025, $58.6M cap hit in 2026
If things go awry, the Giants can move on from Jones next season. Cutting him would bring cap savings of $19.3 million but leave behind $22.1M in dead salary. However, if they move forward with a rookie, they’ll easily eat the losses. But again, that’s the worst-case scenario for a team that hopes they already have the position solved, otherwise Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen may need to look for new jobs too.
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