Former NFL Quarterback believes the Giants might already be done with Daniel Jones

As the New York Giants gear up for the 2024 season, the future of quarterback Daniel Jones hangs in the balance. Despite entering his sixth year with the team, Jones has yet to solidify himself as the franchise quarterback many hoped he would become.

The Giants Need the Best of Daniel Jones Now

Jones’s tenure with the Giants has been fraught with challenges, including a consistently underperforming offensive line and a high turnover rate among offensive coordinators. However, the stability provided by Mike Kafka in his third year as offensive coordinator and Brian Daboll as head coach offers a glimmer of hope. Despite this, Jones’s performance last season was underwhelming, throwing for only 909 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions before suffering a season-ending ACL injury against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Giants’ Future Plans and Contract Realities

Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason suggests that the Giants are merely waiting out the remainder of Jones’s contract. Indications from the team’s interactions with the New England Patriots about potentially trading up for the third overall pick signal a lack of commitment to Jones as their long-term quarterback.

“The moment that Joe Schoen goes over to New England and says what he says, and the moment they’re interviewing quarterbacks, they’re not really talking about Daniel Jones, but they really are talking about Daniel Jones,” Boomer said on WFAN Sports Radio. “Because they don’t know what to expect from Daniel Jones.”

Giants General Manager Joe Schoen hinted during HBO’s Hard Knocks that the team must face reality given Jones’s history of serious injuries. After the 2024 season, the Giants have a potential out in Jones’s contract, which would incur $22.2 million in dead money but save approximately $19 million. This option also allows for the dead cap hit to be spread over the final two years of his contract, potentially freeing up more salary space.

A Crucial Year Ahead

2024 stands as a pivotal year for Jones. The Giants, under Daboll’s leadership, are tasked with developing a quarterback, but inheriting Jones with his existing challenges was far from ideal. His history of injuries, including a recent ACL tear, further complicates his prospects.

“You look at the injuries… you then take what Joe Buck said during one of their games when Brian Daboll was lamenting to Joe Buck that he has to be the energy and needs his quarterback to be the energy, and then you take what Rich Eisen said about the Giants being done with Daniel Jones, essentially, they’re stuck with Daniel Jones. As I’m sitting here this morning, that’s how I look at it.”

For Jones to secure his future with the Giants, he would need to deliver an exceptional season, surpassing 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns—a feat that would require his absolute best performance to date, especially coming off a significant injury.

Unless Jones can defy the odds and deliver a breakthrough performance, 2024 is likely to be his final season wearing Giants blue.