Many might claim they saw it coming from a mile away, but the New York Giants’ split with the veteran quarterback Daniel Jones seemed abrupt in 2024.
Entering the season, he was the franchise quarterback. After 10 games, he was benched. Just a few days after that decision was made public, Jones reportedly requested a release. The Giants obliged, sending their now-former quarterback into free agency for the first time in his career.
These days, Jones is battling for a job on the Indianapolis Colts. While Jones is expected to be a part of the team throughout the 2025 NFL season, his standing on the depth chart is unknown. The assumption is that Jones will be the primary backup to Anthony Richardson, but the Colts are leaving that up to the players to convince the coaching staff based on their performances in training camp and the preseason.
It’s a different scenario for Jones, who started all but one of the 70 games he played in up until this point. A scenario that he recently described as “tough,” as he looks back at his past NFL journey.
“Obviously it’s very competitive, you put your whole life into it, you’re very dedicated and committed to winning, to make sure it goes well on the field, playing at a high level, winning for your teammates, winning for the people in the organization, winning for the fans, and when it doesn’t work out yeah, it is certainly tough,” Jones recently told the New York Post.
Jones might be appreciative of his time with the Giants, considering they selected him sixth-overall in 2019 and eventually put a $160 million deal in front of him when they felt he earned it, but the exit from New York wasn’t on the highest of notes. Regardless of how he felt about it then, the Colts quarterback is trying to look ahead without any negative feelings about his previous stint.
“Try not to hold any of that bitterness or hurt, hold anything personal against anybody, just knowing that’s gonna prevent you from the next step, from succeeding and learning what you need to learn wherever you are going next,” Jones told the NY Post.
In 70 games with the Giants, Jones completed 64 percent of his passes for nearly 15,000 yards. He tossed 70 touchdowns, throwing 47 picks. While he wasn’t recongized among the NFL‘s better mobile quarterbacks, Jones had some wheels. He rushed 399 times for 2,179 yards and 15 touchdowns.
At the end of the day, winning is critical for a quarterback. In a results-based business, Jones achieved a 24-44-1 record throughout his career. He has just one playoff run on his resume. A six-game stretch in 2023 resulted in a 1-5 record for the Giants. His final 10 games with New York was a 2-8 stretch.
The Colts have welcomed a refreshed Jones after a multi-month reset. Letting go of the bitterness, Jones hopes to carve out a consistent role for himself in Indianapolis.
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