Daniel Jones may not have to suffer much longer as the Giants' fourth-team quarterback.
Jones, who answered questions for the first time Thursday since being demoted earlier this week to end a disappointing six-year run as a starter, essentially said goodbye to the Giants.
However, he declined to admit the possibility of leaving the team before the end of the season.
The Giants don't want to play Jones and risk activating the $23 million injury guarantee in his contract, so on the depth chart, Jones will be joined by new starter Tommy DeVito, backup Drew Lock, and even He looks inferior to Tim Boyle, who was newly added to the practice squad.
“I'm still processing… how this decision was made and not playing,” Jones said, his voice cracking at times over the course of 11 minutes. “For now, I'm doing my best to help Tommy and the team prepare.”
Jones, usually unfazed, began by reading a 90-second prepared statement thanking the owners, teammates, coaches, fans and staff.
“The opportunity to play for the Giants was truly a dream come true,'' he said, using the past tense.
“There were some great times, but of course we all wish there were more of them,” Jones said. “I take responsibility for not bringing in more wins. No one wanted to win a worse game than me. I gave everything I had.”
Jones' practice load on Thursday included skating in pinny and lining up as a scout team safety during the offensive installation period.
It's not unusual for offensive players who aren't playing on Sunday to help with that walk-and-jog situation, but it's unusual for a $160 million investment to be reduced to that.
Why isn't Jones just a No. 2 quarterback? First, if Jones fails to pass his medical by March, the dead salary cap would be $22.2 million to $45.2 million if the Giants cut him. Let's start with the clause that jumps to the dollar. It's a nightmare for general manager Joe Schon.
“I have injury coverage, so that’s it,” Jones said. “They don't want to take any risks. Then they just do what they're told.”
The only question really left is whether the Giants will allow the 27-year-old Jones to return or let him go.
He declined to say whether he would request release or whether the Giants asked him to waive his injury bond before benching him.
Derek Carr left the Raiders, but Russell Wilson remained with the Broncos due to a similar situation in the past related to injury guarantees.
“I wanted to play bad,” Jones said. “I think we tried to do everything we could to make that possible and create a situation where both of us were comfortable. Most of those discussions were between my agent and Joe. I want to be on the field, but it's the unfortunate business side of the game.”
From a salary cap standpoint, there is essentially no difference between releasing Jones today or any other day before the start of the new league year on March 12th.
The Giants could free up some salary cap space for the time being by cutting Jones, as his salary would be offset and his new team would be paying him the league minimum.
But the Giants (2-8) run the embarrassing risk of Jones signing with the team on schedule and directly defeating the team in the final seven games — as if he were to play Cooper Rush before Thanksgiving. He played in Week 18 with the starters rested for the playoffs, along with the Eagles' Saquon Barkley, as he would have if he joined the Cowboys instead or teamed up with the Eagles.
“We know we have a lot of great football in front of us,” Jones said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
The Giants' offense is the lowest scoring in the NFL (15.6 points per game), and Jones' play alone justified benching him (3-13 in his last 16 starts).
However, teammates have been held responsible for the Giants' failures, with Dexter Lawrence even calling Jones “QB1” even though DeVito started against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
“I've had a lot of great relationships with the players here and I definitely appreciate the support,” Jones said in his most emotional moment. “But it's about the team and what's best for the team. I know the players are ready.”
The former first-round draft pick never returned to the level he reached in 2022, when he led the Giants to 10 wins, including the playoffs, and was ultimately rewarded with a two-year, $82 million contract extension.
The Giants made other excuses for the team's struggles (offensive line, receivers, coaching changes) for most of the time Jones played, going 24-44-1 before retiring and leaving in 2025. They were looking to replace him in the 2019 draft.
“They're trying to make a difference, and it shows,” Jones said. “Definitely not happy about it. That's not what you want to hear. All those emotions you have. We're in a business where we're expected to get results, but We didn't do that. We need to accept that and understand that.”
Jones admitted that the possibility of him being on the bench is “maybe a little behind”. [my] After the Giants lost in overtime to the lowly Panthers.
Giants fans have booed Jones and the offensive line at every home game this season (5 losses).
“To our fans, we express our deepest respect and gratitude for your passion and love for the Giants,” Jones said. “The fans are a big part of what makes playing for the Giants so special.”
