NFL training camps are just two weeks old and already speculation is swirling about New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
It began with suggestions during the team’s acclimation period that Jones could be benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor. Then it became more about trading for Jimmy Garoppolo. And now it’s back to Jones being benched despite back-to-back stellar practices.
Eric Edholm of NFL Network recently named Jones a starter who may lose his job before camp concludes.
The assumption has been that Jones would be on a one-year trial with new coach Brian Daboll before the team figured out its long-term direction at quarterback. But is it possible that Jones doesn’t even begin this season as the starter? Tyrod Taylor never played for Daboll in Buffalo, but that doesn’t mean Taylor couldn’t win the job if the Giants’ new leadership decides that Jones isn’t the long-term answer — and presumably never will be.
After inheriting a flawed roster and messy salary-cap situation, Daboll has already hinted there could be growing pains this year. The smart money remains on Jones getting a shot to prove he can still be the starter, but the Giants could opt to pull a stunner and turn to Taylor — especially if reports of the Giants’ offense struggling mightily in camp keep up. A Jones benching would be the most surprising development of any of the potential demotions mentioned in this piece. Stranger things have happened, though, and perhaps Daboll’s patience will wear thin if Jones’ turnover woes (his 49 giveaways — including a league-high 20 fumbles lost — since 2019 are tied for third-most) persist.
It’s somewhat amusing how certain narratives persists within NFL media.
The Giants signed Taylor to be a backup in 2022 and that’s precisely the role he’s played thus far. He’s taken no first-team snaps in practice, while head coach Brian Daboll has repeatedly committed to Jones as their starter.
As far as the turnovers, it’s known that Jones has dramatically cut down on those since his rookie year but the bloated numbers continue to be presented. And you’ll notice that no one who discusses them ever differentiates between Jones’ rookie season and what he’s done in terms of ball security over the previous two years.
All of this is not to say Jones is guaranteed anything beyond 2022. He’s not. But it’s misleading to ignore Jones’ improvement in the turnover department while repeatedly trying to push the notion that he’s on thin ice not even 10 days into training camp.
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