Giants QB Daniel Jones Not Worried About Outside Noise

Jones remains fully confident in his ability to steer the Giants offense.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) enters the field during pregame introductions before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is well aware of the noise coming from outside 1925 Giants Drive about his play and his worthiness as the Giants' starting quarterback, noise that includes not only fans and media but also NFL brethren.

But with his job as the Giants starter potentially on the line, Jones said he’s not worried about what others are saying.

“I've said a number of times I'm concerned about the people in this building, and I think I’ve got plenty of help, plenty of good coaching, plenty of good teammates to work with here,” he said on Wednesday. 

“That's what I'm focused on. I've got people I trust, who I have relationships with, who can help me out. But in terms of other people and what they have to say or what they think from their perspective and what their observations are, it's not very important to me.”

A growing number of media analysts and fans have concluded that Jones, who admittedly hasn’t had it easy since being drafted sixth overall in 2019, is broken beyond repair. 

They cite his jitteriness in the pocket, inability to consistently move through his progressions, his lack of feel for the pass rush, and his inability to get the ball to his receiving targets more accurately.

Jones, as he’s always done, is the first to admit that he needs to clean things up. He cited his footwork, for example, as something he’s looking to polish up this week, as well as trusting more what he’s seeing and being more decisive.  

“Each play, you try to take something from and learn something and then apply that to this week of practice and improve it,” he said.

The problem, though, is that the people outside 1925 Giants Drive who pay hard-earned money to buy tickets, television packages, and merchandise in support of the team argue that Jones, now in his sixth NFL season, has had plenty of opportunities to overcome the obstacles thrown his way only to fail in doing so.    

That has raised questions about whether Jones’s confidence is beyond repair.

Head coach Brian Daboll wouldn’t go so far as to come right out and say if Jones’s confidence was shot, but he did acknowledge that he’s had conversations with Jones about how things have unfolded. 

“That's what you do. You have relationships with players, you correct them, you show them, you're there for them, you have good conversations,” Daboll said. “Because sometimes players or coaches, you need to have those conversations.

When asked if he sees a quarterback playing with confidence, Daboll replied, “Yeah, we’ve played one game, so no one did good enough that first game. So again, team sport, and we'll work on fixing it.”

If one thing can be said about Jones, it’s that he’s got a steely resolve, a necessity for the New York market in general, where the spotlight is as glaring as it comes.  

“I feel like I've been doubted plenty for a long time, but I dealt with that time and time again and did a good job with it,” Jones said. “I think my mental toughness is in a good spot, and I'm not concerned about that.”

He said he also understands why fans have booed and heckled him.

“Fans – they're upset and frustrated, and we're frustrated too. I understand that,” he said. “I'm not easily offended. I understand how it works and know I’ve got to play better–we’ve all got to play better.”

Jones added that in addition to cleaning up his deficiencies, his focus lies on one thing. 

“I'm playing to win games,” he said. “I'm playing to lead the team to score points and win games. And that's always been my focus. I know I can do that. I’ve just got to do it well.”

And if he doesn’t?

“Like I said, I'm focused on doing my job and playing well. I’m confident I can do that.”  

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