The New York Giants did not exercise the fifth-year option on quarterback Daniel Jones’ rookie contract, leaving the former first-round pick’s future with the club in a little bit of doubt.
Although the team has chosen not to make a long-term financial commitment to Jones, he has been given votes of confidence from co-owner John Mara, head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
Jones has handled the situation like a pro. He knows there is only one thing he can do. Play his game.
“That was certainly out of my control, out of my hands, and that’s the business part of it. I understand that,” Jones told reporters of the team’s decision to decline his option.
“My job is to prepare to play as well as I can, help the team win games, and that’s certainly what I’m focused on. You know, just kind of is what it is. You’re focused on preparing to play as well as you can, and that’s my goal.”
The Giants are giving Jones a shot to prove that he is the future at quarterback. If he has another injury-laden or stagnant season, they’ll likely move on.
But Jones won’t be restricted. Daboll has said they want to see a more aggressive version of Jones, not the tentative version that has limited both his growth and the team’s offensive production.
“Yeah, I mean, you never want to throw interceptions, but I think just the idea to be aggressive and take your shots and see if you can make something happen, kind of let the receivers know that we’re going to do that, we’re going to give you all opportunities to make plays and we’re counting on you to make plays in situations,” Daboll told reporters.
“I think that’s kind of a mindset he has to attack a defense, attack downfield and as a quarterback, a decision maker, you’re a big part of that. That’s something we’ve talked about a lot and something he wants to see in practice.”
Perhaps the best course of action was to not pick up Jones’ option. It’s always good to add a sense of urgency to the situation and the Giants are doing that up and down the entire organization.
