Getty The New York Giants have posted a 14-35 record in the three seasons Daniel Jones has been their quarterback.
The New York Giants have a bevy of questions to answer this offseason, with one of the most pressing involving whether it’s time to upgrade at quarterback.
Ian Wharton of Complex speculated in a January 14 post that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan could be the upgrade the Giants need.
In 37 games as the Giants’ starting quarterback, Daniel Jones is 12-25. During that three-year stretch, the team finished with records of 4-12, 6-10 and 4-13. In fact, the Giants have never been above .500 at any point since 2019.
Now, all of the losing in New York is chewing up Jones’ allies.
With the January 10 retirement of general manager Dave Gettleman, who drafted Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, and the January 11 firing of head coach Joe Judge, Jones’ status with the team could be less secure.
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His grip on the starting quarterback job will be tied to three factors: whom the Giants hire as general manager, which head coach the GM hires, and which available quarterbacks represent an upgrade over Jones.
Analyst Says Giants Would Improve With Ryan
GettyAt 36, Matt Ryan’s touchdown rate dropped to 3.6%.
In his January 14 opinion piece, Wharton speculated on the NFL’s annual quarterback shuffle.
He focused one section of his article to Matt Ryan, who won the MVP in 2016 with the Atlanta Falcons. Wharton called Ryan an upgrade over Jones despite a 2021 season in which his statistics fell short of his usual numbers. Ryan’s passing yardage (3,968) was his lowest since 2010, his yards per pass (7.1) was his lowest since 2013 and his touchdown-to-interception ratio (20-to-12) was his worst since 2017.
Wharton also noted the Giants’ salary cap and new leadership and factored in the quality of the draft class of 2022.
[Ryan] had been able to compensate for what has never been a great arm earlier in his career. At 36, it’s highly concerning that his touchdown rate dropped to 3.6 percent of his attempts while his yards per attempt is only 7.1. Interested teams must convince themselves their situation will be more advantageous and Ryan will flourish in a different role.
They might be correct considering the Falcons’ lack of consistent running game, defense, and receiving threats. Pittsburgh, New York Giants, Washington, Carolina, and Denver would all improve with Ryan. Despite his massive $48 million cap hit, only $16.25 million would be paid by his new team since bonuses are accelerated and paid by the trading team.
That makes him one of few veterans the Giants, in particular, can afford. Their new staff should avoid playing Daniel Jones at all costs in order to protect themselves, but the team has a limited pathway to even reach $30 million in cap space. That rules out all impactful starters except Ryan, Baker Mayfield, and Jimmy Garoppolo.
It also makes more sense for the Giants to avoid taking a rookie quarterback in a weak class. A smart strategy for New York might be to trade down from the No. 7 spot, acquire more assets, then use some of their new assets in a move for Ryan. This would limit the sting of giving up a top-10 pick while the Falcons get useful ammunition to chase a replacement in 2022 or 2023.
Jones’ Talent Has Not Translated to Wins in New York
GettyDaniel Jones threw 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2021.
A generous analyst might convince themselves that Jones has not been a total bust since becoming a member of the Giants.
Jones, 24, has thrown for nearly 8,400 yards with 45 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in 37 games, per Pro Football Reference. He’s also rushed the ball for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry. Those numbers do not paint a picture of incompetence.
The incompetence in New York has been reserved for the front office and the coaching staff. There’s also been some bad luck, with former Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley losing almost all of 2020 to an ACL injury.
Jones’ performances haven’t translated into winning on the field, and it’s been a half-decade since Giants fans saw light at the end of this losing tunnel.
The new GM and head coach are obligated to inject hope into the Giants’ predicament. A change at quarterback might accomplish that. Running Jones out for a fourth season as the starter with no viable backup plan, however, almost certainly will not.