Daniel Jones - Pro Football Rumors

Giants Ownership Backs Daniel Jones As Starting QB

March 28th, 2022 at 10:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Many view 2022 as a make-or-break year for Daniel Jones. While there are questions surrounding his future beyond the upcoming campaign, he at least has the support of ownership for the present.

As noted by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, John Mara reiterated the team’s commitment to their incumbent starter amidst the flurry of big-name moves which have taken place at the QB position this offseason. As Mara said, “people are realizing it’s by far the most important position in sports and either you have one or you don’t. We think we have one.”

Schwartz does note that the Giants have made a move at the position already. The team signed veteran Tyrod Taylor earlier this month, adding an experienced backup with extended time as a starter in his previous NFL stops. The particulars of the deal (two years, $11MM) open the door to a competition for the starters’ job, but Mara remains confident that Jones can be successful under the right circumstances.

“We still have a lot of confidence in Daniel and think he’s going to be a very good quarterback if we just put the right pieces around him and give him a little bit more continuity and stability”, he said. “He hasn’t had that since he’s been here. Let’s give him a chance to prove himself. He’s shown flashes of it, for sure.”

In three years with Big Blue, the former sixth overall pick has a 12-25 record, 50 total touchdowns and a combined 57 turnovers. Instability at the coaching level, as well as injuries – including to the Duke alum himself this past year – throughout the offense have plagued his NFL career to date. It’s not a surprise, then, that the team is expected to decline his fifth-year option. Nevertheless, Mara said that a second contract for Jones “is certainly our hope”.

With sufficient improvement in 2022, Jones could very well see himself as the team’s starting signal-caller for the foreseeable future. Despite the evidence pointing to that being unlikely, that scenario is clearly still the team’s preference as of now.

QB Rumors: Trubisky, Winston, Taylor, Lock

March 13th, 2022 at 4:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The Giants’ new head coach, Brian Daboll, worked with free agent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky when they were both with the Bills last year (Daboll as offensive coordinator). Well, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN, Daboll has interest in luring Trubisky to join him in New York.

There’s been some interest in bringing Trubisky to Pittsburgh, as well, where a path to starting is much more clear. If Daboll’s familiarity with the sixth-year quarterback is able to attract him to the Giants, though, the head coach sees the potential for him to mirror the results of Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee. A quick refresher: Tannehill arrived in Nashville in 2019 in a trade with the Dolphins. Tannehill started the season in the role of back up quarterback to the incumbent starter Marcus Mariota. After a 2-4 start to the season, Mariota was benched in favor of Tannehill, who went 7-3 for the rest of the year and led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game.

Daboll holds hope that, while Daniel Jones may retain the starting job in New York, if the need presents itself, Trubisky could provide the same effect as Tannehill.

Some other notes concerning quarterbacks around the league:

Another option the Steelers could be looking into, Jameis Winston is looking like the most likely starting quarterback for the Saints in 2022, according to Graziano. With Teddy Bridgewater headed to free agency, a return to New Orleans could be possible, and Winston may see some opportunities in testing the free agent market, himself. But Winston is a locker room favorite that saw success on the Saints before tearing his ACL midseason last year.
Tyrod Taylor lost the starting job in Houston last year to rookie quarterback Davis Mills. With Mills expected to return to the starting position next year, the Texans do have interest in bringing Taylor back in the role of back up quarterback, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Taylor has chased starting jobs throughout his career and has seen some success at times. He may search for a new opportunity to start, but, if not, Taylor has shown professionalism several times in back up roles mentoring young quarterbacks.
After receiving Drew Lock in the Russell Wilson-trade with the Broncos, Seattle is considering the elements to Lock’s lack of success in Denver, according to Fowler. Some believe that the revolving door of offensive coordinators contributed to his struggles. Seattle is analyzing whether they believe in Pete Carroll‘s ability to develop Lock, who showed glimpses of promise in his early appearances as a Bronco, or whether they need to make moves for Deshaun Watson to win now.

Giants Notes: Jones, Barkley, Engram

March 6th, 2022 at 9:03am CST by Rory Parks

Giants GM Joe Schoen recently told reporters that no decision has been made with respect to QB Daniel Jones‘ fifth-year option for 2023, which must be exercised or declined by May 2. “We haven’t been around him other than a couple weeks,” Schoen said (via Mike Florio of PFT). “Again, we’re going to take our time with the process. We’re going to be around Daniel. We’re going to get the chance to see him throw and work with the guys that we have. … We’re going to be patient with that decision.”

New York is interested in signing free agent passer Mitchell Trubisky and having him compete with Jones for the starting job in 2022. Given that, and given Jones’ struggles over his first three professional seasons, it would be surprising if Schoen were to pick up Jones’ option, which is worth a fully-guaranteed $21.3MM.

Now for more from Big Blue:

When asked about the possibility of trading RB Saquon Barkley, Schoen did not rule it out. However, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes, Schoen would have to be floored to make a deal. Although the Giants are obviously in rebuild mode, they also want to field a competitive team and surround Jones or any other passer with enough talent to fairly evaluate their QB situation. Furthermore, Barkley’s “strong preference” is to stay with New York, and Dunleavy’s sources believe that if the Giants were to trade him now, they shouldn’t expect much more than a fourth-round pick in return.
Before Schoen was hired, it was reported that the Giants were unlikely to break the bank to retain tight end and pending FA Evan Engram. We have not heard anything to suggest otherwise now that Schoen is in charge of personnel, which means that Engram is poised to hit the open market. As Dunleavy tweets, some interested teams are looking to utilize Engram more as a slot receiver and are preparing proposals with that goal in mind.
Georgia DE Travon Walker was one of the biggest winners at the scouting combine, putting on a display that solidified his position as one of the top D-linemen in the class. The fact that he was asked to fill a variety of roles along the Bulldogs’ defensive front limited his sack production, but his athletic traits are hard to beat, and ESPN draftnik Jordan Reid believes Walker might now be a top-five choice (subscription required). Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com suggests that the Giants may consider Walker with their No. 5 or No. 7 overall selections (Twitter link).

Giants Likely To Target Mitchell Trubisky

March 5th, 2022 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

While perhaps due to a stagnant quarterback market, Mitchell Trubisky‘s free agency stock has climbed in recent days. The former Bears bust may have interesting second-chance options as a starter or with a team planning a competition.

The Giants fall into the latter category, committing to Daniel Jones returning. But the team is expected to target Trubisky to compete with the in-house starter, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. This would make for an interesting pairing, putting two maligned top-10 picks into a competition, and high-end backup money looks to be Trubisky’s floor at this point. The Trubisky momentum, as strange as this sounds, has been “off the charts” at the Combine, per Pauline.

Trubisky signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Bills last year, trekking to Buffalo after a rough Chicago stay. The Giants hiring ex-Bills lieutenants Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll would make a Trubisky addition logical, since the team still plans to have Jones in the picture. The Giants will listen to offers for many players, but Schoen said (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) Jones and Kadarius Toney are not up for discussion this offseason.

Josh Allen made every Bills start last season; Trubisky threw just eight passes in six inconsequential cameos. But he has 50 starts to his credit. The Steelers are also interested in Trubisky, who will turn 28 before Week 1. Since Trubisky’s 2018 Pro Bowl alternate bid, in Matt Nagy‘s first Bears season, he trended downward in Chicago. Trubisky may need to be choosey with his next destination, as starter chances may be elusive if he bombs with his next team. The Steelers join the Giants in being interested in the former No. 2 overall pick, though they are open to other names as well, and the Bills would be fine with him back as Allen’s understudy.

Even though the North Carolina product may never escape his Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson ties, this year’s QB trade market stalling beyond Watson would be a boon for the free agent crop. Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr not being heavily involved in trade rumors stands to help the likes of Trubisky, Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater. Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay, which may be becoming an iffier proposition than it appeared earlier this week, would also benefit the UFA crop, which includes Marcus Mariota as well.

Giants’ Daniel Jones Done For Year

December 20th, 2021 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are shutting Daniel Jones down for the rest of the season (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). While the quarterback’s neck injury isn’t especially serious, the team is opting for the cautious approach.

Jones has been out since Week 12 and there’s little reason to bring him back out with three meaningless games to go. Of course, these final few games will carry some significance for the Giants, who are currently in line for the No. 5 overall pick. They also own the Bears’ first-round choice, projected for No. 6 as of this writing.

The Duke product will finish near the bottom of the league’s QBR rankings with just ten touchdowns against seven interceptions. He’s got 21 touchdown passes in 25 games over the last two years — less than the 24 TDs he totaled as a rookie in 2019.

It all adds up to a career with flashes of promise but not enough to justify his No. 6 overall draft slot. With a new GM likely on the way, Jones’ status is very much in the air. Between now and May, they’ll have to decide on the QB’s fifth-year option for 2023, which would cost the Giants somewhere around $21MM.

Without Jones, the Giants are left with Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm on the QB depth chart.

Latest On Giants’ QB Daniel Jones

December 12th, 2021 at 11:02pm CST by Ely Allen

When the Giants announced that quarterback Daniel Jones would miss their Week 13 matchup in Miami after suffering a sprained neck, they indicated that a long-term absence could be possible. Head coach Joe Judge announced after today’s loss in Los Angeles that Jones would be seeking further tests on Monday.

Earlier this week, Judge had stated there is “no information in any way, shape, or form that leads us to think there is a threat long-term,” and that they were just waiting for him to be cleared for contact. Today’s comments don’t necessarily point to the contrary, but the announced location of Jones’s tests open speculation about the seriousness of his neck injury.

Jones will be going to New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery to see Dr. Frank Cammisa, HSS’s Chief Emeritus of Spine services and a specialist in surgery for spinal disorders. Jones has already been to Los Angeles to see orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins III, who did not clear Jones for contact before their game against the Chargers.

It’s entirely possible that the Giants are simply seeking the opinions of people at the top of their field on how best to treat a minor injury. CBS Sports had sources knowledgeable in the field explain that specialists could be trying to identify if Jones has ligament damage or a bruised spinal cord, injuries that could spell the end of Jones’s season. These sources also explain that an MRI could return positive results pointing to a much simpler recovery.

That being said, until Jones is cleared for contact and back out on the practice field, expect Mike Glennon to be starting his third straight game when the Cowboys come to town next Sunday. The Giants are hoping that Monday’s tests will point to Sunday’s matchup being the last time Glennon has to fill in for Jones.

Giants Rule Out Daniel Jones For Week 13, Bracing For Extended Absence

December 3rd, 2021 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries to various skill-position players and a coordinator change already impacted Daniel Jones‘ third season, a key audition for the former top-10 pick. The Giants are now preparing for their starting quarterback to miss extensive time.

Jones has yet to receive full clearance and is out for New York’s Week 13 game in Miami. Offseason addition Mike Glennon will start against the Dolphins. But the Giants are bracing for the prospect of Jones missing several games due to the sprained neck he is battling, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano reports.

Practicing in a limited capacity all week and took reps with the Giants’ first-stringers, Jones pushed for doctors to clear him for Week 13, Vacchiano adds. But his status going forward is uncertain.

When the Jones injury news surfaced earlier this week, he was labeled week-to-week. Joe Judge is sticking with that classification, indicating Friday the team has “no answers beyond that.” When asked if Jones’ season could end early because of this neck issue, Judge said the situation has not progressed to that point. That coming to pass could certainly alter the Giants’ quarterback plans.

On his sixth team in six years, Glennon started five games for the Jaguars last season. The Giants did not re-sign Colt McCoy, who caught on with the Cardinals and fared well during Kyler Murray‘s November absence. Signed off the Bills’ practice squad, ex-Georgia standout Jake Fromm is in line to be Glennon’s backup Sunday.

Big Blue is on track to miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season, though the team is just one game out of the NFC’s final wild-card spot. More importantly, an early Jones shutdown would deprive the Giants of seeing a potentially lengthy sample of their starter playing alongside Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney. The latter is doubtful for Week 13 but should be expected to return fairly soon.

The Jones-Jason Garrett partnership did not go well. The Duke product sits 25th in QBR. Jones’ 21 touchdown passes in the 25 games since his rookie season still trail his 2019 total (24). That output, achieved in 12 starts, ranks fifth among rookies in NFL history. Jones has shown flashes since but has largely not lived up to his No. 6 overall draft slot, though Barkley’s frequent unavailability and a low-end offensive line have impacted the young passer as well. The Giants are also likely to have a new GM in 2022, injecting some uncertainty regarding Jones’ fifth-year option. That price stands to come in at more than $21MM.

NFC East Notes: Parsons, McAdoo, Giants

December 1st, 2021 at 10:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys are more than happy that they landed on linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th-overall pick in this year’s draft. Parsons has started each of his 11 games for Dallas, collecting 67 tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles, and he’s the runaway favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, if the Cowboys had had their way, they would have used their selection on a cornerback.

As Jon Machota of The Athletic writes, the team’s “original plan” was to select either South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn or Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II. However, those cornerbacks were scooped up at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively, forcing the front office to pivot. They ended up landing on the Penn State linebacker (after trading down), and the organization couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.

Parsons explained to Machota how he continues to improve throughout his first season in the NFL.

“People always talk about the rookie wall,” Parsons said, “but I just keep climbing and climbing because I’m excited to see what’s on the other side of that wall.

“I love what we have here. I’m just so honored and blessed to represent the star and have an opportunity to be a star here.”

Some more notes out of the NFC East…

The Cowboys are dealing with COVID-19 cases throughout their staff, so they’ll be temporarily promoting Ben McAdoo to a coaching role, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. McAdoo, who had been serving as a “consultant to the coaches” in Dallas, will be in the coaches booth for tomorrow’s game against the Saints. The 44-year-old spent two years as the Giants head coach between 2016 and 2017, and he returned to the NFL last season when he was hired as the Jaguars QBs coach.
Guess who else liked Horn and Surtain? The Giants, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, but the Eagles’ decision to trade up (with the Cowboys, no less) to select wideout DeVonta Smith was the move that really threw New York’s draft into disarray. With the organization’s targets off the board, the team ultimately decided to trade with the Bears, with the Giants selecting wideout Kadarius Toney at No. 20.
Another Cowboys/Giants connection: Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes that the Joe Judge/Jason Garrett pairing in New York was always an “arranged marriage.” Co-owner John Mara was the one who pushed to add Garrett as the team’s offensive coordinator, and the former Cowboys head coach was an “outlier” on a staff that generally had connections to their head coach. Garrett was ultimately canned by Judge and the Giants in late November after the team had collected a league-low 42 touchdowns.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports opines that the Giants should go all out on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason. The writer cites the organization’s draft capital (which, at the moment, includes picks No. 6 and No. 7), Daniel Jones‘ disappointment in New York, and Wilson’s supposed desire to play in the Big Apple. Assuming GM Dave Gettleman is out after the season, this would be a bold way for a new GM to begin their tenure, but the writer believes this would be preferable to rolling with Jones or drafting a quarterback in a weak class.

Giants QB Daniel Jones Week-To-Week With Neck Injury

November 30th, 2021 at 6:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Daniel Jones‘ neck strain will likely force him to miss some time. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Giants quarterback is considered week-to-week and veteran Mike Glennon is expected to start on Sunday against the Dolphins. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY tweets that the starting QB’s status is uncertain, and his status will “depend on how he feels this week.”

Jones suffered the injury during the second play from scrimmage this past weekend against the Eagles. The quarterback ended up staying in the game and completing 19 of his 30 pass attempts for 202 yards and one touchdown (along with another 30 yards on the ground) in a Giants victory.

Jones missed games in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, and it’s bad timing for a struggling Giants offense that’s still managed to win three of their past five games. The former sixth-overall pick has seen some improvements during his junior season, holding a career-high mark in completion percentage (64.3) and a career-low mark in interception percentage.

Glennon stepped in for Jones when the starter exited the Giants’ Week 5 loss with a concussion. The 31-year-old completed 16 of his 25 pass attempts for 196 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The journeyman started five games for the Jaguars last season, throwing seven touchdowns vs. five interceptions. The Giants added some depth to their QB room earlier today when they signed Jake Fromm off the Bills practice squad. New York also has QB Brian Lewerke stashed on their taxi squad.

Giants’ Daniel Jones To Start In Week 6

October 15th, 2021 at 3:22pm CST by Ben Levine

FRIDAY: Jones cleared the protocol Friday. He is no longer on the Giants’ injury report and is set to make his return against the Rams this week.

The third-year quarterback will also have Sterling Shepard available. After missing two weeks with a hamstring injury, Shepard is good to go for Sunday. The injuries Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay sustained against Dallas will shelve them against Los Angeles, however. The team has listed Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton as questionable for Week 6. Toney managed three limited practices this week, making him a reasonable bet to play.

THURSDAY: Despite getting knocked out of last weekend’s loss to the Cowboys with a concussion, Daniel Jones could be on the field for Sunday’s game against the Rams. Coach Joe Judge told reporters that his starting QB is “on track with everything” as he looks to clear concussion protocol (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan).

Jones completed five of his 13 pass attempts before exiting Sunday’s loss. Following a helmet-to-helmet hit, Jones stumbled off the field before getting carted to the locker room. Jones is currently in concussion protocol, and he was ruled out of practice on Wednesday. However, he was seen participating in work outs on a side field.

That would seemingly open the door to Jones clearing concussion protocol and playing on Sunday. Even if the QB doesn’t see the field this week at practice, Judge indicated that his starter could still be in the lineup against Los Angeles (per Raanan).

The former first-round pick has had an unremarkable start to the 2021 campaign, completing 64.3-percent of his passes for 1,282 yards, four touchdowns, and only one interception. He’s also added another 197 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. If the 24-year-old isn’t able to play this weekend, Mike Glennon would be under center for the Giants. The veteran made his first appearance of the season in Week 5, completing 16 of his 25 pass attempts for 196 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.