Given how well quarterback Daniel Jones played at times during his rookie season, it seems almost surreal that the hot topic this offseason has been whether or not the New York Giants still view him as their franchise guy moving forward.
That speculation has been spurred on by Joe Judge’s refusal to address a player by name, Jones included. And as many times as some of us [cough, cough] caution against reading into the tea leaves that aren’t there, the rumors persist.
In fact, the unwarranted and unsubstantiated speculation got so tiresome during the 2020 NFL Combine that NBC Sports insider Peter King unleashed a lengthy rant on the topic.
I think I do not care if Belichickian-game-playing Joe Judge won’t mention the name of his quarterback, Daniel Jones, or give some kind of early opinion on Jones’ play. Judge at the combine refused to comment on the ability or status of any player on his roster. In New York, that became a little bit of a thing. He doesn’t like Daniel Jones, was one narrative. This is the problem with covering the NFL 52 weeks a year. We make mountains of meaningless ant hills, such as theorizing why Judge won’t discuss Jones yet. Who cares! Sometimes it’s okay to say, we don’t care what a silly coach says, or doesn’t say. The Giants’ quarterback is Daniel Jones, and let’s all move on with our lives accordingly.
And Jones will continue his career as quarterback of the Giants, who remain “fully committed” to him, reports Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
The Giants privately remain fully committed to Jones despite the way Judge and Dave Gettleman dodged questions. The belief is his fumbling problem is easily correctable and the quiet way he handled adversity – a nine-game losing streak, turnovers, the awkward dynamic with Eli Manning – was perfect for a pressure-cooker.
Despite the Giants’ support, Dunleavy also reports that league-wide opinions on Jones vary to a substantial degree.
Some insiders believe he was “just OK” as a rookie, with an 87.7 rating, 3,024 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a league-high 18 fumbles.
One team with a multiple-time Pro Bowl quarterback in his prime included Jones on its draft board last April because of the thought he might quickly grow to beat out the starter. The same team remains very high on Jones.
“Just ok” is actually a considerable step up from where the opinion on Jones stood a year ago ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft and in its immediate aftermath, which just proves that Jones is (and will continue to) slowly chipping away at the faulty narrative.
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