Giants Country

Former Giants TE Darren Waller Believes Daniel Jones Will Rise to the Occasion

Waller thinks an improved offensive line will allow Jones to show what kind of quarterback he can be.

Patricia Traina

Jul 27, 2023; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants tight end Darren Waller, left, and quarterback Daniel Jones talk on day two of training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Facility.
Jul 27, 2023; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants tight end Darren Waller, left, and quarterback Daniel Jones talk on day two of training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. / Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
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Former NFL tight end Darren Waller only spent one season with the New York Giants, but during that time, he got to know his teammates pretty well, and he’s rooting for one in particular to succeed.

That would be quarterback Daniel Jones, who is coming off a torn ACL and a season of overall bad football. Waller, who announced his retirement from football last month, believes Jones has gotten a bad reputation that he simply doesn’t deserve. 

“I'm just excited for him to get another opportunity because I feel like he gets a bad rep,” Waller said during a Saturday interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“Last year was his first opportunity to get out there and play on the new bag that he got. And, you know, it was just tough for us as an offense to protect him, and you can't put any quarterback back there, not have any protection, and expect them to really, truly thrive in the pocket.” 

Waller said he was glad to see that the Giants emphasized improving the offensive line, which last year was credited with allowing 85 sacks all season long, the second most in league history since sacks became a trackable stat.

With better protection, Waller thinks Jones can resemble the quarterback he was in 2022 when he took the Giants to the playoffs.

“Hoping that they can get those things shored up and allow him to have the opportunity to show that he is a talented dude,” he said. “He's very athletic–like give him the opportunity to play the football that he was playing in 2022.”

Waller said Jones is very motivated to get out there and quiet his critics, who continue to question Giants’ decision to give him a four-year, $160 million contract extension after the 2022 season. 

“I feel like that's definitely still in him, and I know him for a fact,” Waller said. “He's motivated and excited to get back out there excited to lead, and that's when you learn the most about dudes is like responding in opportunities like this. And I definitely felt he has that in him.”

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Patricia Traina

PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for over three decades for various media outlets. She is the host of the Locked On Giants podcast and the author of "The Big 50: New York Giants: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants" (Triumph Books, September 2020). View Patricia's full bio.

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