Daniel Jones and the New York Giants’ quarterback saga has reached new levels of absurdity. Staring at a disastrous 2-8 start to the season, head coach Brian Daboll announced on Monday that Tommy DeVito would start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season.
Meanwhile, Jones, once the franchise’s supposed savior, has been relegated to fourth-string duties, with Tim Boyle leapfrogging him on the depth chart. This situation may be the first for a quarterback who signed a four-year contract worth $160 million just two years ago.
NFL Fans Show Little Mercy to Daniel Jones’ Ultimate Fall From Grace
The harsh reality for Jones is that his performance hasn’t justified the Giants’ faith in him. Through 10 games this season, the 27-year-old North Carolina native has thrown for a mediocre 2,070 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing just 63.3% of his passes.
Compare that to rookie Malik Nabers, the team’s No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, who has impressed with 607 yards and three touchdowns in his debut season. While Nabers shines, Jones’ downfall has turned him into a $160 million liability the Giants are eager to sideline, partly due to a $23 million injury guarantee that kicks in if he gets hurt.
NFL fans wasted no time roasting Jones on social media. One fan quipped, “Damn…this is cold even for Daniel Jones.”
Damn….this is cold even for Daniel Jones. https://t.co/ZT7H3ZGRuH
— ACE Boogie (@VitaminD_J) November 20, 2024
Another added, “Tim Boyle being higher on the depth chart than you has to be a complete confidence killer 😭.”
The memes and comments flooded X, already writing off Jones as the Giants’ future under center.
“Bro won’t ever play again lmao,” said another.
One fan commented, “The fact Daniel jones lasted 10 weeks is a joke. Shame on everyone involved.”
Another wrote, “Holy s*** we gonna get practice squad Daniel Jones before GTA6? 💀.”
One X user tweeted, “Damn they really want to avoid paying him at all costs lol.”
Tim Boyle, quite the journeyman, having been with six NFL teams since 2019, took snaps ahead of Jones in practice this week.
Daniel Jones was QB4 today in individuals. Behind practice squad QB Tim Boyle in first open practice to media since he was benched pic.twitter.com/iTnlsRvSFq
— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) November 20, 2024
Boyle, who hasn’t managed to wiggle up room for himself in the league, went 0-2 as a starter last season with one touchdown and four interceptions.
Still, the Giants seem willing to entertain any option to move on from Jones, signaling that his days in a Giants uniform are likely numbered. The current state of affairs is grim for a team that once reached the playoffs with Jones at the helm.
For now, fans can at least find solace in rookie QB Tommy DeVito, who brings energy as the Giants prepare to host the Buccaneers this Sunday in Week 12 action.
How Has Daniel Jones Performed This Season?
At Pro Football Network, we’ve developed a new stats-based approach, the PFN Insights QB+ Metric.
Our metric uses numbers that are fully available through 2019, so that is where the historical context comes from. All data referenced is relative to either the current season or in comparison to stats dating back to 2019.
We’re molding stats that include success rates when pressured, third-down conversion rate, and pocket production. The added wrinkle in this PFN Insight is quantifying “clutch.”
Through Week 11, Jones’ grade is a D. The sad part is that this will not even be Jones’ worst season as a starting quarterback in his career, with his 2021 season still having a lower QB+ score.
Jones has been pretty much bad at everything, and at this stage in his career — there is not much positive that we can seek. His time as an NFL starter will likely be done after this season, and the numbers throughout his career make it hard to argue anything else.