NFL training camp begins at the end of July, which means players across the league are getting their final offseason work done before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.
For some players, this season is what some might call “make or break,” meaning they need to have a productive year or they could look for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
We’ll highlight these players for the Giants, starting today with quarterback Daniel Jones.
2023 Statistics
– Six matches (1-5 record)
– 909 passing yards with a 67.5 percent completion rate
– Two touchdown passes with six interceptions and four fumbles
– 206 rushing yards and a touchdown
Why make or break?
The Giants committed to Jones ahead of the 2023 season to a four-year contract extension worth up to $160 million. However, a disastrous season made people within the Giants organization reconsider whether he was the quarterback of the future after all.
In the first five games, the Giants were completely outplayed, winning only once as they rallied from a large deficit to defeat a lowly Cardinals team that was without its starting quarterback. Jones then missed a few games with a neck injury and upon his return suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that ruled him out for the rest of the season and will hamper his preparation for next year.
Some analysts believed the team could draft a new quarterback with a high pick in April’s draft, but the Giants ultimately opted to select the wide receiver. Malik Nabers, so Jones will have another chance to prove himself in 2024 with better personnel around him. However, the Giants also hedged their bets by bringing in another former first-round pick when they signed Drew Lock in free agency.
What will break this?
Jones needs to restore confidence in his ability to be worthy of the big deal he received to be the team’s leader. If he can’t play at a high level or misses more time due to injuries, then the Giants could start looking at the cheaper Lock and consider signing another prospect next April.
There is no guaranteed money in Jones’ contract beyond 2024, so it will be easy for the team to cut ties with him or encourage him to restructure his deal into something more team-friendly if he underperforms again.
If Jones plays very well but the team isn’t winning, that may not be enough to secure his Giants’ future, as he has hits totaling more than $100 million that are expected to hit the cap in the next two years after this one.
What will happen?
To restore faith in himself as a guy, Jones needs to start winning games again. His numbers were good but not elite in 2022, but the fact that he led the Giants to a winning record and the second round of the postseason was the main thing that convinced the front office that he was their guy. .
In 2023, when the team was struggling, Jones probably wasn’t the main problem. With the offensive line disorganized due to a series of injuries, he was running for his life and it can be said that he performed relatively well given the circumstances. However, he would need to take his game to another level to prove that he can be someone who can lift the team in difficult situations and overcome adversity to stay competitive.
Jones doesn’t necessarily need to play at a Pro Bowl level to justify remaining the team’s starter beyond 2024, but he needs to at least play well enough for the Giants to be competitive every week and in the postseason mix all the way to the end. of the season. If they fall out of contention or begin to suffer heavy losses, New York may be forced to cut its losses and hit the reset button in this position.
