How It All Fell Apart for Daniel Jones and the Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was supposed to be a new chapter, a fresh start for Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. The date was September 10, 2023, and the Giants were kicking off their season with high hopes after signing Jones to a massive four-year, $160 million contract just seven months earlier. But what unfolded that day at MetLife Stadium was nothing short of a nightmare.
Facing the Dallas Cowboys, Jones was under siege. He was pressured on 23 dropbacks, sacked seven times, and the Giants were humiliated in a 40-0 blowout loss. To make matters worse, his top pass protector, left tackle Andrew Thomas, injured his hamstring and didn’t return until the second half of the season. That game set the tone for what would become a disastrous year for both Jones and the Giants.
Fast forward to November 22, 2024, and the unthinkable has happened: Daniel Jones has been released by the Giants, just 439 days after that fateful game against the Cowboys. In that span, Jones won only three of 16 starts, throwing 10 touchdown passes against 13 interceptions. The final blow came when he was benched in favor of Tommy DeVito. On Thursday, Jones even found himself playing scout-team safety during practice. By Friday, he had approached Giants ownership to request his release, and the team agreed it was time to part ways with seven games still left in the season.
“Of course, this season has been disappointing for all and, of course, I wish I could have done more,” Jones said during what was essentially his farewell press conference. “I’m 100% accountable for my part. I did not play well enough, consistently enough, to help the team get the results.”
A Season to Forget
Things barely improved after that Week 1 debacle. Jones showed flashes of brilliance in the second half of Week 2 against Arizona, but by Week 4, the wheels had completely fallen off. On “Monday Night Football,” Jones was sacked 10 times and threw a pick-six in a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It was a brutal performance that played out in front of a national audience.
Injuries soon compounded the struggles. Jones hurt his neck during a loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. He returned four weeks later, only to tear the ACL in his right knee during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders. Just like that, his season was over, and so was any realistic chance of salvaging his career in New York.
“Probably part of it was injuries,” said DeVito. “Last year [Jones] got dinged up a bunch during the games, probably wasn’t fully healthy at all times. But was still going out there and giving it his all. Some of the times probably wasn’t able to get the best version of himself out there. Probably isn’t fair to him but … when you go out there to play, you go out there to play.”
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Jones will ultimately be judged by his results, and they weren’t pretty. Since entering the league in 2019, he ranks 26th among qualifying quarterbacks with a QBR of 53.0. His best season came in 2022, when he led the Giants to a playoff win and finished sixth in the NFL with a QBR of 62.9. But that success proved fleeting.
The Giants’ front office seemed to sense trouble even before the 2023 season began. HBO’s “Hard Knocks” revealed that the team had considered drafting a quarterback, with head coach Brian Daboll expressing interest in Jayden Daniels. General manager Joe Schoen was also heard discussing a potential trade for the No. 3 overall pick, which was eventually used by the New England Patriots to select Drake Maye.
Multiple sources close to Jones believe this public search for a new quarterback added extra pressure on him. Coming off a serious knee injury and two neck injuries, Jones was already facing an uphill battle. The added scrutiny only made things worse.
Struggles on and off the Field
Jones’ struggles weren’t limited to the stat sheet. His accuracy, once a strength, became a glaring issue. During training camp, he consistently underthrew deep balls, and in an effort to self-correct, he began overthrowing. This internal battle seemed to reflect the larger challenges he faced post-injury.
Even with improved weapons like rookie Malik Nabers, Jones’ confidence appeared shaken. Multiple players told ESPN that his relationship with Daboll seemed strained, with one describing it as “weird.” The tension boiled over during a game in Germany against the Carolina Panthers, when Daboll was caught on camera yelling after Jones failed to throw the ball on a flea-flicker play. The moment seemed to encapsulate the disconnect between quarterback and coach.
The End of an Era
By the time Jones was benched in favor of DeVito, it was clear his time in New York was over. The Giants’ decision to release him cements his contract as one of the worst in franchise history. With just one winning season in six years, Jones’ tenure will be remembered as a disappointment.
“Playing in New York didn’t help,” said wide receiver and close friend Darius Slayton. “The media pressure is so immense on the coach and the players. It’s eventually going to deteriorate.”
For Daniel Jones, the dream of being the Giants’ franchise quarterback is over. Now, the question is: What’s next?
Originally Written by: Jordan Raanan
