By Jordan Long
The New York Giants’ season ended in the Divisional Round losing to the Philadelphia Eagles by the score of 38-7. The Giants now have a decision to make on quarterback Daniel Jones, who will be a free agent.
Jones was drafted by the New York Giants, the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants were anticipating he was the quarterback of the future. In his first 3 years in the league, he passed for 8,398 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Jones’ biggest problem was he couldn’t read defenses well. He was throwing the ball into coverage and those were picked off, throwing 29 interceptions. The Giants even declined his 5th-year option on his rookie deal. Jones knew going into this year, it was a contract season for him. He wanted to play well.
This year, Jones led the Giants to a 9-6-1 mark as a starter. The Giants finished the season with a 9-7-1 record, earning a playoff spot for the first time since 2016. In those games, Jones passed for 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns. He wasn’t forcing the ball into coverage as much. He was picked off just 5 times which is a career low for a full season.
In the Super Wild Card Round, the Giants defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-24. This marked their first playoff win since they won Super Bowl 46. In that game, Jones was 24 of 35 passing for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns. He didn’t throw an interception. In the Divisional Round loss against the Eagles, Jones struggled with only 135 passing yards and 1 interception. It wasn’t all his fault. The Eagles brought constant pressure making it difficult for Jones to find an open receiver. He was sacked 5 times.
Once the game was over, Jones knew he was a free agent. He would like to come back to New York. According to CBSsports.com, Jones said “I’ve really enjoyed being here. I have nothing but love and respect for this organization. I’d love to be back, but we’ll see. There’s a business side of it too. Very grateful to be here and be a part of it.”
The Giants have a few options. The easiest one is to sign Jones to a long-term contract if they feel he is the future at quarterback. Otherwise, they could franchise him so they don’t risk losing him. They may let him test free agency and risk losing him. If that is the case, Jones might be in another uniform for the 2023 NFL season and beyond. The Giants would need to either draft a young quarterback or sign one in free agency.
The Giants know how important the quarterback position is. They will look at all of their options. The truth is, Jones played well enough this year to show he should be their quarterback moving forward.
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