Coming into the 2024 NFL offseason, one of the biggest questions for the New York Giants was what they would do at the quarterback position. The team committed to Daniel Jones during the 2023 offseason, signing him to a four-year, $160 million deal.
Not even a year after signing that deal, the Giants looked to be having some buyer’s remorse. Jones’s performance in 2023 was pitiful, as he was among the least productive quarterbacks in the NFL when he was healthy.
Jones wasn’t the only problem with the Giants offense in 2023. The offensive line wasn’t any good and the team lacked game-changing weapons around him. However, he didn’t help his case with how he performed even with good conditions to produce.
Watching backup Tyrod Taylor and undrafted rookie free agent Tommy DeVito execute for the Giants with more success than Jones was certainly discouraging for his outlook. The conditions for both of them weren’t much better than they were for Jones, but the Giants moved the ball with more success.
Taylor showed a willingness to take shots downfield and spread opponents out that Jones hasn’t been in recent seasons. With opponents adjusting to the system Brian Daboll and his staff put in place during a successful 2022 campaign, Jones was unable to replicate that in 2023.
With the 2024 NFL Draft just over a week away, attention is once again turning to quarterback for the Giants. They signed Drew Lock in free agency, while Taylor joined the New York Jets. It will be interesting to see if New York goes quarterback early on because Jones’s days as an NFL starter are reportedly over.
“The #Giants have always liked him better than everyone else,” an executive told FOX, via MLFootball on X, insinuating that Jones is basically done as a starter.
There is zero incentive for the Giants to use Jones this season as their starter. Should he play and get injured again, his contract beyond 2024 becomes guaranteed; it is only guaranteed for injury.
The risk far outweighs the reward in playing Jones, as he may not see the field much in 2024 even when he is cleared to play. Coming off an ACL tear and with multiple neck injuries in his career, New York should play it safe so that they can save as much money in the future as possible.
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