New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is entering a make-or-break season with the team. Jones missed all but six games this past season due to multiple injuries, including a torn ACL.
He has not lived up to expecations since New York made the Duke product the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Sure, Jones led the Giants to a surprising playoff appearance in 2022. It also led to New York signing him to an astounding four-year, $160 million contract ahead of last season.
But the entire body of work just has not been there. He threw two touchdowns with six interceptions in those six starts a season ago.
It led to widespread rumors that the Giants were going to select Jones’ eventual heir-apparent in the 2024 NFL Draft. While that did not happen, Jones’ future in Jersey remains firmly up in the air.
The backdrop here was these Giants being featured in the first season of offseason “Hard Knocks.” The television program focused some on New York’s off-season plans and the potential of adding another young signal caller to the mix. Jones apparently was not too happy about it.
“I’m very motivated by this and by being as good a player as I can be. Definitely didn’t enjoy watching that and it was a tough situation in a lot of ways, but that’s the reality of the NFL,” Jones told Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com. “My job is to be on the field and play good football. So that’s something I’ve got to understand and it is what it is at this point. It’s about playing the game and playing well now.”
Jones, 27, had previously aired his frustration about the Giants seemingly openly looking to find his heir-apparent. But this is the first time he’s spoken on record about “Hard Knocks” and how it made him feel.
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Jones had to know this was coming before “Hard Knocks” aired.
“If they fall in love with a quarterback and believe that it’s worth pick No. 6 or moving up, I certainly would support that,” New York Giants owner John Mara said ahead of the NFL Draft. “I know they’re looking at the quarterbacks. You’ve seen that. They’ve gone to some of the pro day, we’ve had some of those guys in. I don’t think they’re even close to making a final determination yet as to which way we’re going to go on that. Those discussions will happen over the next few weeks.”
That had to be a tell for Jones. There is no reading in between the lines. Mara said what he said.
While New York’s owner has since indicated he’s happy the Giants gave Jones that bloated contract, the team’s actions tell us something different.
If Jones continues his struggles this coming season, it will be his final as a member of the Giants. They can get out from his deal with a mere $22.2 million dead cap hit next March.
He’ll certainly enter the campaign with some motivation.
“Look, obviously there’s something inside of you that kind of gets going and it ticks you off a little bit to see,” Jones said. It’s not fun and not something that you’re excited about. Like I said, it is what it is at this point and it’s my job to play well regardless.”