Latest injury signals end of the Daniel Jones era in New York

Nearly eight months to the day he agreed to a four-year, $160M contract extension, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is once again facing uncertainty about his future. 

On Sunday, the Giants fell to 2-7 after a deflating 30-6 loss to interim HC Antonio Pierce's Las Vegas Raiders (4-5), during which Jones, who was returning from a severe neck ailment, exited with a knee injury. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jones is believed to have suffered a torn ACL based on his initial tests. 

Once confirmed, Jones's 2023 season would be over after he threw for just 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions, potentially signaling the end of his tenure in New York. 

Despite the massive financial commitment to Jones, the signal-caller's contract is only guaranteed through next season. In turn, this could provide flexibility if New York decides to start over at quarterback, as Jones could be a placeholder while a rookie acclimates to the pro level. And based on how they're playing this season, the Giants are putting themselves in a position to do so.

Through nine games played, New York holds the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Without Jones — and backup Tyrod Taylor for at least three games — the Giants will turn to undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito, who threw for 175 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on Sunday, as their starter. 

It was difficult to envision the Giants winning many games with Jones, but by starting DeVito, they could end up with the worst record in the league.

Nonetheless, securing a top-five pick would increase the likelihood that the Giants could select USC's Caleb Williams or UNC's Drake Maye if they so desire, and it seems that the organization is already preparing for such a scenario.

GM Joe Schoen, assistant GM Brandon Brown and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell were all in attendance for the Washington Huskies' 52-42 win over USC on Saturday, presumably scouting quarterback prospects Williams and Michael Penix Jr. 

This was the second occasion where Schoen was in attendance to see Williams this season, the first being USC's 48-20 loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 14, the worst game of the Heisman Trophy winner's career. 

Williams delivered a much better second showing for Schoen, amassing 328 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, further solidifying his status as the future No. 1 pick. 

Although it may have seemed like a premature move to scout quarterbacks heading into the weekend, Schoen is probably glad he made the trip to Los Angeles, all things considered. 

New York would likely need to lose out and have the Cardinals, Panthers and Bears string together a few wins to ensure it lands Williams, though that's far from a guarantee due to the NFL's unpredictable nature. 

However, if New York wins enough games to fall out of range for a quarterback, or if it doesn't land the first pick and still wants Williams, it has already begun stockpiling assets to trade up in the draft. The Giants own 15 picks in the next two drafts, including two 2024 second-rounders, one of which was a part of the return in last week's trade that sent DT Leonard Williams to Seattle.

While Jones hasn't necessarily had a real chance to justify his contract extension or fully prove himself as an NFL quarterback due to his unfavorable situation, the decision to draft Williams or Maye would be a simple one. 

The current Giants regime didn't draft Jones, and while Schoen extended Jones, he chose to decline his fifth-year option before watching him in action first-hand.

Jones's extension could be viewed as a mistake in the long run, but given the deal's structure, there's no reason for Schoen to have buyer's remorse, especially if he drafts a franchise quarterback in April.