The Jets may be facing an uncertain future at the quarterback position with Sam Darnold, but elsewhere in East Rutherford, there’s no thought of making a change.
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge were each asked about Daniel Jones, and if star quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson potentially becoming available means Jones could be moved on from, both were clear in their commitment to the 23-year-old.
“Again, we have confidence in Daniel,” Judge said. “He's a player that we want to work with going forward with this team. He showed us a lot of improvements. A lot of things. I go on and on about how much we respect him and like him and how the locker room responds to him. The simple answer to that is no."
Jones did show improvements in his sophomore season, though not necessarily the kind of leap you would hope from a former top-10 pick. The Duke product raised his completion percentage from 61.9 to 62.5, and threw 10 interceptions in 14 starts compared to 12 picks in 12 starts as a rookie. Still, his quarterback rating dropped from 87.7 to 80.4, though he did show a slight improvement in the fumble department, which was a glaring concern in his rookie campaign.
But the Giants believe Jones has plenty of room to grow into a franchise quarterback that gives them no reason to seek outside options.
“We've got a conviction on him, he's everything we want, he's got all the physical skills,” Gettleman said. "Again, I say this all the time: the kid just finished his second year of NFL football. How many of us after two years at our new job were great? We all start at Point A and we hopefully get to Point Z. But the one common denominator is it takes time. Everybody's gotta understand that. We believe in Daniel and that's where it is."
Jones will be back under center for the Giants next season, and hopes to have his star running back in Saquon Barkley back from the torn ACL he suffered this past season. With more weapons around him, New York believes Jones can blossom into the quarterback they envisioned when they drafted him sixth overall.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
