Joe Schoen Makes Bold Proclamation About Giants' Quarterback Situation

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will be the starting quarterback this season, barring any health-related setbacks.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
May 5, 2022 8:00 AM EDT

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After inheriting a four-win football team that had hit rock bottom, Giants general manager Joe Schoen, in his first off-season in charge of the team, sought to create competition at every position.

Well, except one: quarterback.

On WFAN Wednesday afternoon with Craig Carton and Evan Roberts, Schoen left zero doubt that the Giants’ starting quarterback role belongs to incumbent Daniel Jones.

“Yeah, Daniel Jones is a starter for us,” Schoen said. “(Backup quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor)knows that; we were very clear with Tyrod and his representatives when he came in.”

The Giants, who selected Jones sixth overall in the 2019 draft, have consistently reaffirmed their confidence in Jones.

Earlier this year, team president John Mara admitted that the team had done “everything possible” to screw Jones up, from not putting a solid offensive line in front of him to changing the coaching staff --and the system--three times since Jones arrived on the scene.

Since then, the Giants have made a strong push to upgrade the talent around Jones, particularly the offensive line. But despite their verbal backing of Jones, the Giants declined the quarterback’s option year, which would have paid him a guaranteed $22+ million in 2023.

"Twenty-two million--that's a serious investment in anything," Schoen said when asked about the decision to decline Jones's option.

"You want to get around him as much as you can. We had watched the film and we wanted to get around the kid and we love Daniel Jones. That's not an indictment on how we feel about him or that we feel any different."

Instead, the team is taking a wait-and-see approach, hoping that Jones finally flourishes behind what they believe is an improved offensive line and, in a system created by head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, who came from two potent offensive systems in Buffalo and Kansas City, respectively.

"We think he's a win-with player. So we want a chance to work with him and go through a season," Schoen said. "We've only been here for three months and around him for four or five weeks. If he goes out and balls out, we still have the franchise tag or you enter contract negotiations and an extension."

Schoen’s declaration of Jones being the starter raised a valid question from Roberts, who asked what the quarterback had done to be handed the starting job without a whisper of competition.

“Listen, Daniel's done everything he can possibly do here,” Schoen said. “He's in early, he's stays late. And we upgraded the weapons around him, and we're going to see what he can do this year.”

If Jones, whom Schoen said is “a hundred percent” regarding his recovery from the season-ending sprained neck, delivers the goods, that would be a huge load off of the general manager's shoulders for next off-season.

Anything short of a successful year by the quarterback would mean the Giants will have to go back to the drawing board to find a new quarterback and then break him in, a process that could potentially stall the team's progress as a rookie acclimates to the NFL.