This off-season, the New York Giants have expressed commitment to Daniel Jones, specifically during both Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll’s introductory press conferences. Despite their vote of confidence in the young quarterback preparing to enter his 4th season in the NFL, recent reports have indicated that management could bring in competition.
There have been consistent rumors connecting the Giants to former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills QB Mitchell Trubisky, but he might be out of their price range. Trubisky could serve as a stop-gap starter on an alternative team or a legitimate option, having learned behind Josh Allen and Daboll last season. The connection between Daboll and Trubisky makes the Giants an obvious landing spot, but paying him upward of $10 million, more than Jones is set to earn for the 2022 season, may be overzealous.
Trubisky is more “proven” than Jones, having earned a Pro Bowl nod back in 2018, throwing 24 touchdowns and 12 interactions. Jones is still trying to find a healthy balance between throwing the football, running without risking his health, and making more efficient decisions. Under the leadership of Joe Judge and Jason Garrett, Jones’s development was completely stalled, mainly as a result of poor offensive line play. Despite former GM Dave Gettleman’s cry for optimism regarding the OL last year, the Giants are now staring a difficult task in the face: overhauling the unit.
Schoen has already indicated the need to improve the line, so whoever is featuring at quarterback should have improved protection. Jones’s issues stretch beyond his protection, though, frequently locking onto receivers and failing to move through his progressions. He’s also careless with the football at times when under pressure — sometimes taking a sack is a good thing!
The concept of bringing in Trubisky isn’t simply to serve as an overpriced backup but to push Jones and bring out the best version of him. With one year to find out what he’s capable of, Jones needs to be under legitimate pressure without the security of a 5th-year option or extension.
The Giants will likely decline his 5th-year option by the deadline on May 2, which puts the team in two different spots. Either they franchise tag Jones next season at a costly increase in salary or extent him on a multi-year deal. This is assuming he plays well and shows he can be the team’s franchise quarterback. Alternatively, they will have no choice but to move on and address QB in the 2023 NFL Draft, where the front office could target Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State.
Another question to consider: Why would Trubisky want to sign with the Giants?
There could be a different team willing to offer Trubisky more money, but his understanding of Daboll’s system and schematic preferences could put him in a position to leverage his experience and compete with Jones. If he wins out, theoretically, he could catapult himself into a bigger contract in New York or elsewhere. This logic is predicated on management feeling the need to put pressure on Jones and essentially telling him, “you have to prove your worth before we just hand over the starting gig.”