Three reasons the Giants should be ready to replace Daniel Jones

Another NFL season is upon us and with that brings several storylines for all 32 teams. The New York Giants have a few of them, with the most notable revolving around sixth-year quarterback Daniel Jones .

After electing to put the franchise on Jones’ back over Saquon Barkley, this season is going to be all about proving why the Giants were justified in doing so. To date, there hasn’t been much evidence to show anyone why New York or any team would view Jones as the guy.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady even took a shot at Jones recently when discussing his transition to the broadcasting booth, using the Giants QB in a negative example.

"Let's say Daniel Jones throws an interception," Brady said via Chantz Martin of Fox News. "I didn't mean to say it like that. I wasn't even being critical of Daniel Jones," Brady added. "Maybe I was a little."

Regardless of how Brady meant his comments to be taken, he isn’t the first nor is he likely to be the last person to criticize Jones. There’s more evidence that points to why the Giants should be moving on from Jones sooner rather than later.

Jones’ improvement

More like a lack thereof. It’d be tough to argue that Jones is that much better entering season six than he was as a rookie or sophomore. Jones threw 24 touchdowns his rookie year and hasn’t come close since.

Not all of that is Jones’ fault, but it’s clear that he has not elevated his game consistently enough as franchise QBs are expected to. Many of his statistics have either hovered in the same place or gotten worse from year to year. The Giants can get out of Jones’ current deal following the 2024 campaign and probably will barring a drastic reversal of fortune.

Operating out of fear

The Giants weren’t exactly over the moon about the idea of extending Jones , but seemingly did so out of fear. A fear that they wouldn’t be able to replace him immediately had they chosen to move on.

Because of this decision, they had to watch Barkley walk away, which isn’t surprising given how little the running back position is valued today. However, it's fair to wonder if it would have been wiser to stick with the electric playmaker rather than the unproven quarterback. Other factors were in play in the decision (Barkley's injury history, the draft capital spent on Jones), but fear of making a drastic move at the sport's most important position seemed to inform the Giants' decision making.

Writing on the wall

It’s been there for some time, but the Giants front office has chosen to look the other way. Other than flashes shown here and there, inspired play has not been a calling card for Jones. In 2022, New York made the playoffs with Jones starting 16 games, winning nine.

While Jones passed for 3,205 yards, he passed for only 15 TDs. That level of passing production may have been acceptable 40 years ago, but it just won’t cut for any team that is a true contender in today's game.

This is likely to be Jones’ final chance at proving he can lead this Giants organization and be a consistent threat. Regardless of how well the team does this season, 15 TD passes won’t get the job done moving forward. Numbers aren’t everything, but in a league that’s set up for QBs to pass the ball, Jones has got to find a way of being more productive from the pocket.