Why Giants' relationship with Daniel Jones reportedly became 'a bit awkward'

The "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants" program that aired this past summer essentially confirmed that Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll wanted to move up from the No. 6 spot in this year's draft order so the club could select either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye to eventually serve as the replacement for quarterback Daniel Jones. 

Shortly after Daboll confirmed on Monday that 2023 undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito will start when the 2-8 Giants host the 4-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming Sunday, Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz touched upon how "Hard Knocks" was essentially the beginning of the end of Jones' tenure with Big Blue. 

"The relationship between Daniel Jones and the Giants has been described as 'a bit awkward,' multiple sources say, especially with the organization publicly exploring other QB options, including during 'Hard Knocks' this past offseason," Schultz reported. "'It was like flirting with someone new while your date is still at the table,' one source said." 

Jones signed a new four-year contract in March 2023 but has since gone 3-13 as a starter. He played poorly last season when healthy, has a history of neck injuries and went down with a torn ACL in his right knee last November before Schoen explored attempting to land either Daniels or Maye. 

The Washington Commanders made Daniels the draft's second overall pick, while the New England Patriots took Maye at No. 3. As for Jones, he's repeatedly been blamed for the fact that the Giants will head into Monday evening ranked last in the NFL with an average of 15.6 points scored per game this season. 

The Giants can escape his deal during the upcoming offseason as long as he's healthy, which makes sitting him now a logical move for a New York team that is out of playoff conversations before Thanksgiving. 

As for Daboll's future, it was reported last week that he and Schoen may need the Giants to finish the season with a minimum of five total wins to stay in their jobs through the winter. On Monday, Schultz said that "there is a growing sense" that Daboll will be "coaching for his job over the final seven games." 

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Giants as five-point underdogs against the Buccaneers.