New York Sportstalk Duo Says Daniel Jones “Doesn’t Have the Look” in His Eye
As debate rages on over whether the New York Giants should continue rolling with quarterback Daniel Jones or go in a different direction, Boomer Esiason, a former NFL quarterback and Greg Giannottiof WFAN’s Boomer & Gio podcast thinks the Giants should move on.
Giannotti seemed bothered not only by the fact that Jones struggled in his most recent injury-shortened season where, in six games, he had a 1-5 record and finished his season with three times as many interceptions as touchdowns but he expressed concern over Jones’s lack of fire in his demeanor.
“There were many times after those interviews that he was just steps away going back into the locker room, and we were like, ‘Man, that guy is a flatliner,’” Giannotti said. “He just is. He doesn’t have that personality.”
Esiason quickly pointed out that Eli Manning, who preceded Jones as the Giants’ starting quarterback, had a similar demeanor to Jones in his playing days. But he also acknowledged Manning won a pair of Super Bowls (and MVPs) while working up a career that now has him in the discussion for a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as next year.
Esiason also pointed out that Manning likely had the outgoing personality the public now sees, but he held it back during his playing career.
“That’s the personality the Giants wanted,” Esiason said. “When Eli was here, he was a flatliner, but now he’s one of the funniest guys on TV.”
Jones? To use a quarterback’s personality as a gauge for how successful he may or may not become is not a foolproof way. But there is no question that the former Duke signal caller has had a rocky showing since being drafted sixth overall in 2019.
In 59 starts, Jones has a career record of 22-36-1. He has thrown 62 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.
He’s also finished with a losing record in all but one of his five seasons in the NFL, the 2022 campaign being the exception.
While Jones’s struggles aren’t all his fault–he’s yet to have been graced with a solid offensive line or a top-shelf receiver, and he’s also had to deal with frequent coaching changes at both the head coach and offensive coordinator levels, all of which has contributed to the doubts people have about his future.
But there have been other factors that have caused concern about Jones’s future, namely his injury history, which now includes his second neck injury in three years and a torn ACL.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen has admitted that the team will have to address the quarterback situation given Jones’s latest injury (ACL) and Tyrod Taylor, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent. It is widely believed Schoen will double dip at the position, signing a veteran who can start for Jones if he’s not healthy by Week 1 while also adding a rookie to the mix within the first two rounds of the upcoming draft.
