LANDOVER, Md. — There shouldn’t be a quarterback controversy with the Giants this week.
Daniel Jones threw his first two touchdown passes in 364 days — a span of six games — and played turnover-free Sunday to bounce back from one of the most difficult weeks of his career, after a miserable performance in the season opener led to boos from the home crowd and turned him into a piñata for NFL analysts.
Of course, it all went for naught because coaching, special teams and the defense flopped in a 21-18 loss to the Commanders.
“Despite what the expectation was after last week, I felt confident in our group, I felt confident in myself,” Jones said. “I thought we prepared well this week of practice. We’ll continue to build confidence through our process and through our hard work. Very disappointed with the outcome today … but in terms of my confidence and the team’s confidence, I don’t think that’s going anywhere.”
Jones finished 16-of-28 for 178 yards, with 10 completions, 18 targets and 127 yards going to rookie Malik Nabers. He also ran for 32 yards.
A well-thrown ball on fourth-and-3 just before the two-minute warning was dropped by Nabers — or maybe the Giants would’ve won (if they reversed course and trusted punter Jamie Gillan to kick a field goal).
Two other incompletions — on two-point conversions — also loomed large, but head coach Brian Daboll endorsed Jones’ play, which suggests no immediate change will be made to Drew Lock despite an 0-2 start heading to face the Browns.
“He went where he was supposed to go with the football,” Daboll said. “He saw the field well. He threw it to the guy he was supposed to throw it too, and gave him a chance. I was proud of the way he competed, I was proud of the way he prepared during the week, I was proud of his mental toughness.”
The clock is ticking on Jones because of the $23 million injury guarantee in his contract.
As has happened to other quarterbacks on other teams in recent years — Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr — the Giants could bench Jones if the season is headed nowhere to avoid a further penalty for cutting him next season.
Then again, there is pressure on Daboll and the Giants to salvage a watchable season and Jones remains the best ticket to doing so.
The Giants will take on a dead salary-cap charge of $22.2 million for cutting Jones after this season — and it’s no secret that general manager Joe Schoen is searching far and wide for a 2025 replacement.
But if Jones is injured– he has a long history, including two neck injuries and last season’s torn ACL — and can’t pass an offseason physical, the charge would rise to $45.3 million.
ESPN highlighted that possibility a few hours before Sunday’s game but Jones claimed he was unaware of the report.
“My job is to play well and put this team in position to win games,” Jones said. “How they handle that and what comes out — where it comes from — I don’t know. It’s up to them how that’s communicated. I’m not in control of any of that.”
Giants teammates backed Jones’ performance.
“I think Daniel Jones looked fantastic,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said.