Daniel Jones spoke to reporters on Thursday for the first time since he was benched by the Giants, and he began with a prepared statements that felt like a goodbye to the only organization he has known as a pro.
“The opportunity to play for the New York Giants is truly a dream come true,” Jones began. “I am extremely grateful to the Mara and Tisch families for the chane to play here. The Giants are truly a first-class organization, and I have nothing but genuine respect and appreciation for the people who have built it and helped carry on that tradition.
“There have been some great times, but of course, we all wish there had been more of those. I take full responsibility for my part in not bringing more wins. No one wanted to win more games worse than me, and I gave everything I had on the field and in my preparation...I am 100 percent accountable for my part. I did not play well enough consistently enough to help the team get the results.
“I love the game. I love being part of a team. I’m excited for the next opportunity. I know there is a lot of good football in front of me, and I’m excited about that.”
With that, Jones took questions from the media, with one of the main questions being how much did the injury guarantee in his contract play into the decision to bump Jones all the way down to QB4. Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen maintained that the quarterback decision would be a football one, and based on who gives the team the best chance to win, but Jones said the injury guarantee certainly played a part.
“That was a piece of the conversation, for sure,” Jones said. “I wanted to play badly…I think it was a part of it.
“I got the injury guarantee, so that’s that. I understand it. They don’t want to take any risks. Yeah, at that point, you just do as you’re told.”
With Jones relegated all the way down to safety duty on the scout team, has he thought about what the rest of the season will look like? Could he walk away before the season is over? Jones hasn’t ruled anything out, as it looks like he won’t take another snap as a Giant.
“I think I’m still kind of processing. I’m doing the best I can to help,” Jones said. “That’s what I’m gonna do right now.”
The press conference felt like a farewell, as it could likely be Jones’ last time talking to reporters as a Giant, and he showed emotion when asked about the support from his teammates, as some publicly questioned the decision to bench the former sixth overall pick, who has fallen a long way since winning a road playoff game and earning a $160 million contract less than two years ago.
“I created a lot of great relationships here with guys here,” Jones said as he started to get emotional. “Definitely appreciate the support. But it’s about what’s best for the team. I know the guys will be ready to go, and I know Tommy will be ready to go this weekend.”