Jayden Daniels' Emergence Sours Giants' Outlook

It is not New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen’s fault that his team does not have a star rookie quarterback. Three teams picked passers before them, the New England Patriots didn’t accept whatever trade offer New York mustered, and none of the first-round quarterbacks taken after the No. 6 pick are worth crying over.

And hey, receiver Malik Nabers is a damn good consolation prize.

But if the first month of the season has shown anything, it’s that the Washington Commanders and quarterback Jayden Daniels are dangerous.

While it’s a little too early to crown him as the next king of the kingdom of your choosing, he couldn’t have fathomed a better introduction to the league.

No quarterback has completed a higher percentage of his passes (82.1). He ranks third in passer rating, fourth in quarterback rating. Daniels has managed to lead the league in expected points added per play, success rate, and completion percentage over expected through four weeks (save for two Monday games).

Oh, and the Commanders are 3-1 and in first place, despite having the league’s worst defense to complement their explosive offense.

The Giants aren’t to blame for this predicament, but Daniels’ impact is multifaceted.

No longer can the New York faithful chalk up two Washington games as wins. Big Blue was 31-15-1 this century ahead of Week 2. But Daniels continued his ascent against the Giants, beating them 21-18 by way of a game-winning drive. And if he’s doing this with a defense that demands he scores are room left to grow, it’s difficult to imagine his ceiling.

Of course, that comes with its own set of playoff implications.

New York’s season isn’t over, but its shot at the playoffs are dwindling after the first month of the year. The path to January football in the NFC East often means taking advantage of two lesser teams. Frequently, that had been the Giants and the Commanders, fodder for the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

Related: Nabers, Daniels Driving Each Other to Greatness

Both of those teams have expensive quarterbacks who have long been entrenched as faces of the franchises. Daniels is on track to join them.

The Giants not only have the worst offense in the division, headlined by the worst quarterback play. And the 2025 NFL Draft doesn’t offer any promises, either. Simply put, that’s a bleak outlook, and without meaningful better talent or front office decision-making, something must break New York’s way before optimism re-enters the conversation.