New York Giants QB Daniel Jones Shares Thinking on His Upcoming Season

Make or break season? That's not exactly how Jones is viewing what is indeed a make-or-break season for him in Year 3.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jun 9, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

The old saying is that Rome wasn't built in a day--and, depending on what source you believe, it took as long as 1,000 years to build.

The New York Giants don't have 1,000 days, let alone years, to devote to building their next franchise quarterback. They are, instead, looking for Daniel Jones, who is entering his third season, to become the franchise quarterback they envisioned after viewing his college tape before drafting him sixth overall in 2019.

Jones, who is entering his third season at the helm of the team's offense, hasn't quite progressed as rapidly as some of the other young quarterbacks who have hit the NFL of late, like Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, Baker Mayfield of the Browns and Justin Herbert of the Chargers.

But to be fair to Jones, he hasn't necessarily had all the resources that his fellow young contemporaries have had to help expedite their respective developments.

That is until this year. The front office went on a massive spending spree in free agency that could come back to bite the Giants hard next offseason if they don't cash in and make the playoffs.

If Jones is feeling any pressure, though, to replicate the success of, for example, Buffalo's Josh Allen, who finally hit his stride in Year 3 of his career, the former Duke star isn't saying so.

Jones, who since entering the league in 2019 as the sixth overall draft pick, has been the very picture of calm and cool, his latest thoughts on whether he views his upcoming season as a "make or break" campaign reflecting that sense of calmness.

"I'm not sure I necessarily think of it that way," Jones said. "I think right now my focus is on what I can do to improve and I think making sure that I'm improving every day and getting myself in a position to go into training camp prepared and be prepared to start the season."

Jones hasn't been a complete disaster, but then again, one might have hoped he would be on the rise after finally showing signs of settling down in the Giants' new offense. Recently, Pro Football Focus, in its ranking of all 32 quarterbacks ahead of the 2021 season, put Jones at No. 20 on their list, noting.

This is a big year for Daniel Jones to establish himself as a franchise quarterback, and the Giants are doing everything in their power to surround him with help. Last year, the team had the lowest pass-blocking grade in the league and the eighth-worst receiving grade, but new additions from free agency and the draft should help.
This is the first time Jones will be in the same offense, which will offer more familiarity going into his third season. Jones must eliminate the boneheaded decisions and turnover-worthy plays that hold the team back. With his toughness and ability to make plays with his legs, Jones can make a big leap forward.

Recently, Jones said that it takes all 11 players on offense to make things happen. But as the quarterback, he is the unquestioned leader where everything starts.

If Jones, who should be more comfortable in Year 2 of the same offensive system, gets off to a slow start that includes his ongoing issue with turnovers or shows that he's still struggling to make quicker reads and decisions, the Giants are in trouble.

"We've all got to perform in the NFL and you're expected to perform at a certain level," Jones said. "So I certainly understand that, but right now, the only way to get there is to focus on what we're doing here every day at practice."

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