Benched New York Giants Quarterback Daniel Jones Delivers Prepared Farewell Statement
If you want to count down the weirdest days Daniel Jones has had in his six seasons with the New York Giants, then Thursday has to be near the top of the list.
Forget that he was benched earlier this week because – depending on whom you believe – the Giants are making football decisions or the Giants are making a $23 million business decision to keep from paying Jones an injury guarantee in 2025.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Sept. 21, 2023. Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Jones Limited In Practice
Now let's examine what we see because it paints the best picture of what is truly happening:
Jones came out to practice like all the rest of the healthy Giants players on Thursday. And the club made sure he did nothing that could get him injured. Or, incidentally, prepared in any way to play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jones threw in one-on-one drills, mostly to running backs. And when the offense moved on to more important work, Jones stuck with the scout team.
And Jones did walk-thru work with the scout team as a safety. No running was involved. No work that could get him injured and trigger the injury guarantee was involved.
"They don't want to take any risks," Jones said of the team.
TAMPA - Daniel Jones of the New York Giants scrambles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium on November 22, 2021. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Jones May Be Staying Home In Future
If that didn't say the team has not just benched but nearly completely shelved Jones, this will:
He has been given the option of staying home for now if he wishes. But the team reserves the right to order him to stay home or keep him off the practice field altogether in the coming weeks, a source told OutKick.
Again, the Giants want to avoid any sort of bizarre injury that could cost them $23 million next March.
And why is that?
Because Jones will be released before the guarantee triggers and the team wants to make as clean a financial break as possible.
Jones knows this now.
So after the practice in which he didn't break a sweat, he met with reporters. And then, he read a prepared farewell statement.
Daniel Jones' Time With Giants Ending
During that statement, Jones spoke of his time with the Giants in past tense.
He said all the right things, calling the Giants "a first-class organization."
He thanked "my teammates, coaches and staff that have done so much for me these past six years."
Jones took responsibility for not helping the Giants win more games and said, "I wish I could have done more. I'm 100 percent accountable for my part."
Finally, Jones said he's "excited for the next opportunity," which will obviously come with a different team.
Jones, classy to the end, is clearly aware this may be his last week with the club.
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen. Photo: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Jones May Stay Home
"I'm still kind of processing and for now I'm still doing the best I can to help Tommy [DeVito] prepare, help the team prepare," Jones said. "That's what I'm going to do right now."
Right now does not mean Friday. Or next week.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen and the agent representing Jones spoke before a final decision to bench Jones was reached. Those discussions included the possibility of Jones waiving his injury guarantee.
The Giants wanted the guarantee waived in exchange for letting Jones play. Jones, wanting to play, was willing to waive an unknown portion of the guarantee but not all of it.
"I want to play, I want to be on the field," Jones said. "I tried to do as much as I could to make that possible, create a situation where we were both comfortable, but I think most of those discussions were with my agent and Joe."