EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was Sept. 10, 2023, the primary recreation for Daniel Jones and the New York Giants for the reason that quarterback signed a four-year, $160 million contract seven months earlier.
Jones was pressured on 23 dropbacks and sacked seven occasions in a 40-0 residence loss to the Dallas Cowboys. His prime move protector, left sort out Andrew Thomas, injured a hamstring and did not return till the second half of the season.
Issues went poorly for Jones and the Giants after he signed that megadeal, and the deterioration occurred rapidly.
Jones was launched Friday, 439 days after the dismantling by the Cowboys. He’d received three of 16 begins, throwing 10 landing passes and 13 interceptions earlier than being benched this week in favor of Tommy DeVito. Jones, 27, went to Giants possession Friday to ask for his launch in the future after spending a part of Thursday’s follow enjoying scout-team security. The Giants and Jones determined it was greatest for the events to separate with seven video games remaining within the season.
“In fact, this season has been disappointing for all and, after all, I want I might have carried out extra,” Jones mentioned Thursday throughout what was primarily his goodbye information convention. “I am one hundred pc accountable personally. I didn’t play properly sufficient, persistently sufficient, to assist the workforce get the outcomes.”
It barely received higher after that loss to the Cowboys. Jones performed properly within the second half the next week in Arizona, however by Week 4 of final season, he could possibly be seen by a nationwide viewers getting sacked 10 occasions and throwing a pick-six in a blowout loss on “Monday Evening Soccer” to the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium.
He was not wholesome once more in 2023. Jones damage his neck whereas getting pummeled late in a loss to the Miami Dolphins the next week. He returned 4 weeks later solely to tear the ACL in his proper knee within the first quarter in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Identical to that, his season was over. So was any viable likelihood of at succeeding in New York.
“In all probability a part of it was accidents,” DeVito mentioned. “Final 12 months, [Jones] received dinged up a bunch throughout the video games, in all probability wasn’t totally wholesome always. However was nonetheless going on the market and giving it his all. Among the occasions in all probability wasn’t capable of get one of the best model of himself on the market. In all probability is not honest to him however … once you go on the market to play, you go on the market to play.”
Jones will in the end be judged on the outcomes, which weren’t good since a playoff win in 2022, essentially the most profitable season of his profession. He completed that season sixth within the NFL with a QBR of 62.9, however ranks twenty sixth amongst qualifying quarterbacks with a QBR of 53.0 since coming into the league in 2019.
The Giants flirted with drafting a quarterback this previous offseason, a key subject highlighted on HBO’s “Exhausting Knocks,” which chronicled the workforce’s preseason. This system confirmed coach Brian Daboll in a predraft assembly being requested if he would commerce up for Jayden Daniels.
“Daniels?” Daboll mentioned. “I’d.”
Basic supervisor Joe Schoen was additionally heard telling the New England Patriots to maintain the Giants in thoughts in the event that they have been going to commerce the No. 3 decide. Frequent sense says the Giants have been by no means buying and selling up for a non-quarterback, particularly after sources confirmed their robust curiosity in Drake Maye. The North Carolina product was finally chosen by the Patriots.
A number of sources near Jones mentioned they consider the general public seek for a quarterback affected him, inserting further stress on his shoulders early this season. Not solely was he getting back from a critical knee harm, however now he carried the burden to achieve success instantly.
Jones clearly wasn’t the identical this season as he was in 2022. His accuracy — by no means among the many largest considerations with Jones prior to now — was an issue from the beginning of coaching camp. At occasions this summer time, he was persistently underthrowing deep balls. Jones admitted overthrowing in an effort to self-correct. This acknowledgement maybe revealed the interior battle he was going through after knee surgical procedure and two neck accidents.
Even with the notion that he had an improved receiver corps, together with dazzling rookie Malik Nabers, Jones’ confidence did not seem excessive, and a number of gamers informed ESPN that his relationship with Daboll appeared completely different. One described it as “bizarre” at occasions.
The stress appeared to boil to the floor in entrance of a global viewers watching the Giants enjoying the Carolina Panthers in Germany two weeks in the past. Daboll, who took over playcalling this season to attempt to repair a damaged offense, referred to as for a flea-flicker on a third-and-1. Two receivers have been huge open, however Jones didn’t throw the soccer.
Daboll was proven on TV yelling whereas working up the sideline. After about 20 yards he bumped into one of many open huge receivers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and slapped his hand. They each appeared to know {that a} massive play was there available. A number of Giants gamers have been watching the play collectively on their telephones when the media entered the locker room after the sport at Allianz Stadium.
At that time, it appeared evident that the Giants would quickly flip the web page on Jones, whose QBR this season is a career-worst of 46.5. They surprisingly went to DeVito, the third-stringer and emergency quarterback for each recreation this season, over second-stringer Drew Lock.
Regardless of the causes for that call, Jones had bottomed out throughout the workforce’s five-game shedding streak, signaling his finish with the Giants. He was benched, and finally launched. His contract will go down as one of many worst in Giants historical past. His tenure shall be thought of unsuccessful, with one successful season in six years.
“Enjoying in New York did not assist,” huge receiver and shut pal Darius Slayton mentioned. “The media stress is so immense on the coach and the gamers. It is finally going to deteriorate.”
