Giants Remain Committed to Daniel Jones for Now

John Mara admits that franchise has done "everything possible to screw up" Jones; adds that is going to change.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jan 26, 2022 2:41 PM EST

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Giants co-owner John Mara said the Giants organization still feels that they have the right quarterback in Daniel Jones but that they haven't exactly put Jones in a position to enjoy success.

"We've done everything possible to screw this kid up since he's been here," Mara said shortly after new general manager Joe Schoen's introductory press conference ended.

"We keep changing coaches, keep changing offensive coordinators, keep changing offensive line coaches. I take a lot of responsibility for that."

And Mara, along with Schoen and the still to be named head coach, is determined to change that narrative so that the 24-year-old Jones has a chance to make the kind of progress that Josh Allen up in Buffalo, Schoen's former employer, has made.

The final evaluation as to whether Jones is the answer will be left to Schoen and the new head coach. Mara, who put to bed any rumors of the team seeking to acquire Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson due in part to his salary cap hit and his unresolved legal issues, said there is still a lot of faith in Jones.

"Let's bring in the right group of coaches now and give him some continuity and try to rebuild the offensive line and then be able to make an intelligent evaluation of whether he can be the franchise quarterback or not," Mara said.

"I have a lot of hope in Daniel. I know how badly he wants it. I know how the players feel about him. We are certainly not giving up on him by any stretch of the imagination."

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Schoen, who said he was aware of Jones's plight, wouldn't commit to whether the team would exercise the quarterback's fifth-year option until he sat down with the head coach, though with the option likely costing upward of $21million and being fully guaranteed for the following season, it doesn't make sense to do so.

"I've looked at Daniel, and you know, once the new staff gets in here, we're gonna get together--offensive coordinator, head coach, the entire staff--dive into the film as a group and look at what Daniel does best," Schoen said.

"I wasn't here in the past, so I don't know exactly what he was told to do. I know he is a great kid. He's been in this building the last two days. I've talked to him. There's not anybody in this building that has said a bad word about his work ethic, passion, his desire to win. I think you gotta have those traits as a quarterback.

"The kid has physical ability--he's got arm strength, he's athletic, he can run. So I'm excited to work with Daniel. When the new staff gets in here, we'll build an offense around Daniel to accentuate what he does best."