Daniel Jones Needs to Play Like How He's Getting Paid, Says Retired Giants Defender

Umenyiora agrees that Giants QB Daniel Jones has to play up to what he's getting paid if he's to prove to be the team's answer moving forward, but also thinks he can do so.

For all but three of his NFL seasons, retired New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora had the luxury of playing on a team with Eli Manning leading the offense, a quarterback whom the players knew what they were getting week in and week out.

But when Umenyiora looks at the current state of his former team and, in particular, the situation surrounding incumbent quarterback Daniel Jones, Umenyiora isn't sure what to make of the most critical position on the offensive side of the ball.

"That's a tough question because you can't say how he played, especially towards the second half of 2022, and say, 'Okay, this guy isn't a good quarterback, and we're not gonna pay him any money.' It doesn't make any sense, right?" Umenyiora told the Locked On Podcast to promote the NFL's International Pathway Program.

"If you're watching, you're like, 'Okay, this guy can play, you know, he is good with his feet, you know, accurate passer who can do a lot of things.' But then you look at what happened last year, and, you know, once you get paid that amount of money as a quarterback or as a player, you can't blame things on everybody else. You, you understand what I mean?"

Umenyiora was referring to the numerous excuses that have been made for Jones over the years, such as the offensive line's poor play, the lack of an elite receiver, injuries to running back Saquon Barkley, the play calling, and everything else that some have argued worked against Jones, who just finished the first year of a four-year, $160 million contract.

"You are the guy, and you have to find a way to deliver because that's how you're getting paid, right?" Umentiora said. "You see what all these other quarterbacks do. You see (Kansas City Chiefs quarterback) Patrick Mahomes--a lot of times, maybe his receivers are dropping the ball, and people are giving him a pass. But in the media world, I say, 'No, he's getting paid $50 million a year to make everybody else right.' 

"So if you're getting paid at the higher echelon of, of the quarterbacks--$40 million a year is a lot of money, (Jones) has to perform better than he performed last year, and he has to play the way he played in 2022."

Jones, who, per general manager Joe Schoen, is "expected" to start once he receives medical clearance from his torn ACL, could ultimately be facing competition for his job if the Giants bring in a young quarterback within the first or second round of April's draft, which, if it does happen, could all but mean his tenure with the Giants won't extend beyond this year, a year in which his salary cap hit all but forces the Giants to keep him on the roster.

Ultimately, Umenyiora believes Jones, who is well-known throughout the organization for his work ethic and commitment to his craft, will find a way to get back to playing as he did during the 2022 season when he led the team to a 9-7-1 record and its first playoff berth since 2016.

"I believe he's fully capable of doing that," Umenyiora said. "He is a fantastic, smart guy with all the ability in the world. He's a very hard worker. Everybody who I talk to about him says he works tirelessly. So there's no way he's not gonna be able to turn that around if given the opportunity." 

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