The New York Giants officially ended the Daniel Jones era this week by benching him in favor of Tommy DeVito. It was a move that was popular among fans, with many feeling as though the move was long overdue given their struggles throughout the six years with him under center.
Giants players are not a fan of Jones’ benching
However, fellow Giants players don’t agree with the decision. One anonymous player told FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz that the blame for the Giants’ 2-8 record shouldn’t fall solely on the quarterback:
“We’re not idiots. They did it because of money. So be it. But Daniel has been all class, never complained, and is now being completely disregarded. The TEAM record is bad. You can point fingers everywhere. To try to blame him is trash, and making him third string is weak as f—,” the player said.
There is an injury clause in Jones’ contract in which he will receive $23 million guaranteed if he were to fail a physical by March. Therefore, benching him and making him the third-string quarterback can be seen as a strategic move to avoid him suffering an injury and having to owe him that money.
The Jones era appears to be over following his benching
Jones is currently in the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract he signed after a successful 2022 season that saw the Giants win their first playoff game in over a decade. This benching almost certainly indicates that they will be taking the out on his deal this upcoming offseason and searching for a long-term replacement.
New York has been one of the worst offenses in the league this season, as they average a league-worst 15.6 points per game. Jones has had a rough campaign himself with 2,070 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions on the season.
The Giants currently have the fourth pick in the draft for 2025, per Tankathon. For the Giants to be able to select one of the top quarterbacks such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward, they will likely need to have a top-three pick for them to be available.
The Giants’ locker room appears to be filled with turmoil
The players obviously wouldn’t play to lose, and it would appear that they are taking Jones’ benching as a form of outright tanking in a lost season. It is clear that there is some sort of disconnect between players and personnel, and it will be worth watching how they perform with DeVito now at quarterback.
The Giants have their next game this upcoming Sunday when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. DeVito will make his season debut in that game.
