The most polarizing QB in the NFL continues to be the most discussed player in New York despite not being on the field. After missing three games with a neck injury, Daniel Jones didn’t last a half against the Las Vegas Raiders. On the final play of the first quarter, Jones tore his ACL on a non-contact knee injury. Is it time for the Giants to move on from QB Daniel Jones?
QB Daniel Jones: Is his time in New York up?
Long before this injury-plagued season, Jones had been the subject of heated debate among Giants fans. Many fans believe that the franchise should have moved on from Jones long ago. On the other side, there are staunch supporters of Jones who believe in him regardless of the team’s struggles.
He has been under the microscope since the Giants selected him with the sixth overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draft. In March, the Giants signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract. The contract included $92 million in guaranteed money from the Giants.
In 2025, the Giants have a contract out on Jones as a post-June 1 cut. The move would save the Giants $30.5 million, with $9 million in dead money on their books over the following two years. Now that Jones has to go under the knife for a serious knee injury, is it finally time to move on from the 26-year-old?
QB Daniel Jones Replacement Is Not On The Current Roster
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After Jones was ruled out with a neck injury in October, the Giants turned to veteran journeyman Tyrod Taylor against the Bills. Brian Daboll and the coaching staff asked Jones to put the team in a position to win by playing mistake-free football.
As 15-point underdogs, that’s exactly what Taylor did on the road at Buffalo. Taylor completed 24 of 36 passes for 200 yards, and while Taylor didn’t throw a touchdown, he had the Giants on the 1-yard line with a chance to win the game.
A week later, Taylor passed for 279 yards, two touchdowns, and 25 yards rushing on eight attempts. And, again, Taylor didn’t make any glaring mistakes that Jones has become synonymous with in his career. He made quick, decisive decisions in the pocket and got the ball out to his targets.
Taylor has stepped in and done this previously in his 13-year NFL career off the bench. From 2015 to 2017 with the Bills, Taylor passed for 8,857 yards, 51 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
He can be a decent QB in the right situation. That being said, comparing QB Daniel Jones and Taylor’s starts equally isn’t fair.
Jones dealt with a turnstile offensive line that was even more in flux than when Taylor started. Additionally, the defense was non-existent in the games that Jones suited up for earlier this season.
Despite fans calling for Taylor to replace Jones, he is not somebody that the Giants should be considering after recovering from a rib injury. As a temporary fix? Sure, Taylor is one of the best in the league for that.
No, Tommy DeVito is not a suitable replacement, either. The NFL looks far too fast for him. We’ve seen enough of DeVito to conclude that he is nothing more than a borderline backup in the NFL.
Tommy Devito already has more TD passes than Daniel Jones this season.
He has only 41 pass attempts. pic.twitter.com/0e9tGrzPMk
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) November 13, 2023
Before the Giants think about a full-time replacement for QB Daniel Jones, they should maybe consider constructing an offensive line that won’t get them injured.
The Giants Must Prioritize Fixing The Offensive Line
In Taylor’s starts, the offensive line stabilized slightly, and Barkley returned to the field against the Commanders. However, the offensive line needs significant attention before a new QB will save the organization.
You have another thing coming if you believe replacing Jones is an instant fix for what ails this team. In five games, Jones was sacked an incredible 28 times, for an average of 5.6 sacks per game. The 26-year-old QB has been under pressure on 46.2% of plays this season.
In his first game back on the field since October 8, Jones was under an incredible amount of pressure again. In the first quarter, he was sacked twice and blew out his knee trying to make a play.
There aren’t many QBs in the NFL that would have success working behind this offensive line. To be fair, the offensive line has been hit hard by the injury bug, but getting Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal back doesn’t make this an elite unit
Put Jones in a functional offense with an elite offensive line, and Giants fans would likely be saying: ‘Where was that when he was in New York?’.
By now, in his fifth NFL season, The Sports Geek, along with other outlets and pundits, concludes that Jones is not a top-tier QB. However, the fact remains that Jones can win in the right situation surrounded by talent.
Giants Draft Jones’ Replacement At The 2024 NFL Draft?
After a humiliating 30-6 loss to the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, the Giants dropped to 2-7 on the season. With a win apiece, only the Panthers and Cardinals have fewer wins than the Giants. The Bears and Patriots are tied with the Giants in the race for the No. 1 selection of the 2024 NFL Draft.
In the wake of Jones’ injury, the Giants signed veteran free agent QB Matt Barkley. In other words, the Giants will depend on DeVito and Barkley to win them games for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. These two QBs may not offer the Giants much, but they make for fantastic tank commanders.
The widespread consensus among draft experts is that USC QB Caleb Williams is the No. 1 pick next spring. North Carolina QB Drake Maye is expected to be off the board shortly after Williams.
If Williams or Maye is on the board when the Giants draft, do you go ahead and call their name? Should the Giants trade up? Giants QB Daniel Jones’ $160 million contract looms large.
But, if the Giants believe that a franchise QB is on the board when they draft, it will be tempting to pass, especially on Williams. J.J. McCarthy or Michael Penix Jr. could be compelling options for the Giants, too.
In any event, we know that the Giants’ front office has to work hard in the offseason to fix their offensive line, regardless if it’s Jones or another QB at the controls next season.
