5 ‘things I think’ after the New York Giants release Daniel Jones

The Jones era with the Giants is over

In the wake of Daniel Jones asking for and receiving his release from the New York Giants, here are some of the initial ‘things I think’ as the post-Jones era begins.

This was inevitable

Once Jones was benched and relegated to obscurity, functioning as QB4 and a scout team safety as the Giants made it clear they would protect themselves from his $23 million injury guarantee, Jones was never going to stick around.

His Thursday press conference felt like goodbye, and absolutely was.

That prepared statement

Why is Jones getting bashed by some (I see you and I disagree with you, Chris Canty!) for reading briefly from a prepared statement on Thursday?

The guy put six years of his career into the Giants. He willingly put his body on the line. He took the blame week after week without throwing anyone else under the bus when he clearly wasn’t the only one at fault.

The prepared statement was hokey, but not inappropriate. That was Jones making sure he said what he wanted to say and thanked the people he wanted to thank for his time in New York. This wasn’t him making things about him.

This was Jones saying goodbye. With the class he has always shown.

Rip him for not being a good enough quarterback if you must. Not for this.

‘Great young man’

Giants coach Brian Daboll doesn’t often give the media a lot. When asked about the release of Jones, though, I thought he gave a genuine response.

“I got a ton of respect for him. Again, he came in and talked to Mr. Mara, had a good conversation. I’ve had a conversation with Daniel (Jones), a couple of them today, good conversations and wish him the best,” Daboll said.

“We had a really good talk, Daniel (Jones) and I. I got a lot of respect for him. Again, not the way we wanted it to turn out by any stretch, but he’s been nothing but a pro since I’ve been here with him. He’s a great young man.”

Doing Jones a solid

I have read comments from some who were surprised that the Giants would release Jones now, a move that potentially allows Jones to find a new job — perhaps as a No. 2 quarterback with a playoff team — before the season ends.

That’s another thing I fail to understand. The organization has always had great respect for Jones as a person, for how hard he worked and the way he represented himself and the franchise. Co-owner John Mara has always been in Jones’ corner.

Why wouldn’t the Giants let him go now if that is what the quarterback wants? Financially, the 2025 cap hit was going to be $22.21 million regardless of whether they did it now or after the season ended.

Why would they embarrass him by holding him hostage for the next seven weeks?

Potential landing spots

Yes, there will be a market for Jones. Even with his obvious flaws, he is better than a lot of No. 2 quarterbacks around the league. I can easily see a playoff team with an uncertain situation behind their starting quarterback adding Jones to their practice squad and eventually putting him on their roster.

And, yes, I could see Jones wearing a Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles uniform.

• Look at the Eagles, with Super Bowl aspirations. Jones is clearly an upgrade from Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee, the current backups for Jalen Hurts. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants if Jones joined the Eagles and was the quarterback in Week 18 at MetLife Stadium when the Eagles are in town for the season finale?
• They aren’t a playoff team, but I would argue that Jones is better than Cooper Rush or Trey Lance. Why wouldn’t the Cowboys try to bring him in?
• The Detroit Lions have Hendon Hooker, a complete wild-card, behind Jared Goff.
• If you’re the Kansas City Chiefs, would you rather have Jones or Carson Wentz in the event something happened to Patrick Mahomes?
• If you’re the Baltimore Ravens, a team where I think Jones would fit nicely, wouldn’t Jones be a better backup for Lamar Jackson than 38-year-old quarterback nomad Josh Johnson?

I think there will be a nice market for Jones in the offseason as a bridge quarterback, as well.