The New York Giants have received plenty of criticism for entering their sixth season in a row with Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback. The former first-round pick has had his ups and downs throughout an inconsistent six-year career thus far and is coming off a torn ACL, looking to bounce back in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
The Giants are having joint practices with the New York Jets this week as both teams prepare for their upcoming final preseason game against one another. The Jets possess a stacked defense that is sure to give Big Blue some problems this weekend, as they did during Wednesday’s first joint practice.
Jets CB Sauce Gardner struggles to find praise for Giants QB Daniel Jones
Elite Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner was asked about Jones, he didn’t exactly criticize the G-Men’s franchise quarterback, but he didn’t give him much praise either:
“Uhhhhh… He’s a good quarterback,” Gardner stammered before eventually saying to the media (h/t SNY). “I thought I was about to pick him off today… He had looked at the last minute to try to throw the check down to Wan’Dale [Robinson]. I thought I had the pick but he kept it…”
Gardner then stammered a bit more, shook his head with a grin like he was biting his tongue, and eventually said that the competitive periods were competitive. Check it out for yourself:
It’s clear that Jones did not make a good impression on Gardner. While he said that Jones is a “good quarterback,” it seemed to come across with a tone of reluctance. After all, rookie Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers did tell the media that the Jets’ defense won the practice earlier in the day (h/t Pat Leonard of The Daily News).
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This is not the first time Jones has received criticism (or failed to receive praise) from an opposing cornerback. Last season, then-rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks tore Jones to shreds after a pick-six against the Giants’ quarterback in a Week 4 blowout:
“We knew he liked to stare down his first target,” Witherspoon told NFL Network after the game. “We were just trusting the game plan the coaches laid out for us. He had his back turned and a lot of guys were winning the one-on-one matchups up front. Without them, we couldn’t make the plays that we made.”
The Giants are taking a risk rolling with Jones under center in 2024. He has an injury clause in his contract that will put Big Blue on the hook for a significant sum of money if he is unable to pass a physical next March. The Giants are hoping that Jones can bounce back this season after they spent the majority of the offseason looking to replace him. But if Gardner’s lack of praise is any indication, it could be another tough season for the G-Men.
