In just a matter of days, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones went from QB1 to no longer being on the team. After being benched earlier this week in favor of Tommy DeVito, Jones requested that the team release him, effectively putting an end to a six-year saga filled with turmoil.
It was not pretty for Jones during his time in New York, who only amassed one winning season, which came in 2022. Outside of that, it was mostly a struggle for Jones to deliver positive results on the football field.
Giants’ Darius Slayton thinks Daniel Jones was under too much pressure
It is easy to point at a few factors for his struggles, such as injuries and a revolving door of head coaches during Jones’ tenure. But Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton pointed at a different factor when addressing how things fell apart so quickly.
“Playing in New York didn’t help,” Slayton said via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. “The media pressure is so immense on the coach and the players. It’s eventually going to deteriorate.”
Playing professional sports in New York always puts a tremendous amount of pressure on those involved. It is one of the largest media markets in the world, and the fans are passionate beyond belief.
Rightfully so, Giants fans grew agitated at the continuous struggles from Jones. They have only seen their team make the playoffs twice since winning the Super Bowl back in the 2011 season, and they only have one playoff win in that same span.
Jones had sky-high expectations from the jump
The expectations were high for Jones from the jump. He was surprisingly taken sixth overall by the Giants in 2019 when other high-profile quarterbacks were still available. New York was very high on the former Duke product, so the bar was set high for him to lead the turnaround.
Unfortunately, that turnaround was short-lived and purely an anomaly. Entering that famed 2022 season, Jones had endured three losing seasons and no clear signs of a significant improvement. In fact, the Giants declined his fifth-year option before that season, essentially giving him one last chance to prove himself under a brand new head coach in Brian Daboll. Despite that, he always seemed to handle the immense pressure of the media very well, and held himself accountable for his shortcomings.
Jones would subsequently have his best NFL season, leading the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and their first playoff berth since 2016, followed by their first playoff victory since that 2011 Super Bowl. They would fall to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round, but none of that mattered as they far surpassed expectations and looked to be finally heading in the right direction.
The success from that season was enough to convince the Giants to keep him around long-term, as they signed him to a four-year, $160 million extension and franchise tagged star running back Saquon Barkley. It was a heavily criticized decision given the difference in success sample sizes, but fans were willing to see how it would play out.
Things fell apart immediately after Jones signed his extension
Things completely fell apart immediately after putting the ink to the paper, as the Giants would get blasted by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2023 season 40-0. Jones would then miss some time with a neck injury, and when he returned to the field later that season against the Las Vegas Raiders, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL, which was the cherry on top of a disastrous campaign.
The Giants had already begun their search for a new quarterback that offseason. They reportedly tried to trade up with the New England Patriots to draft Drake Maye, and Daboll was particularly enamored by former Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, as documented on the HBO series Hard Knocks. Daniels would end up going to the division rival Washington Commanders, who have found great success in just his first season with the team.
There were concerns about Jones before this season even began. During a preseason game against the Houston Texans, he alarming threw two interceptions in the first half, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Those concerns grew larger after those same struggles continued in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, a game that they lost 28-6. Jones was booed loudly by the crowd at MetLife Stadium.
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The Giants finally let go of the rope with Jones
Ultimately, no improvements came to fruition, and with the Giants sitting at 2-8 entering the bye week, they were virtually left with no choice but to cut ties with Jones after it felt long overdue. Following his benching earlier this week, Jones prepared a statement for the media, to which he maintained the same accountability he has always had when faced with pressure from the New York media and fans.
“There had been some great times, but of course, we all wish there were more of those. I take full responsibility for my part in not bringing more wins. No one wanted to win more games worse than me, and I gave everything I had on the field and in my preparation,” Jones said (h/t SNY).
The Jones era is officially over, so now the focus will be on who the next franchise quarterback of the Giants will be. With so many years of agony under Jones’ tenure, the stakes will only be higher for the next guy that steps in. Until that time comes, Giants fans can be hopeful that whoever is next in line for them will finally turn around a decade of suffering for the organization.
