Giants Country

Darren Waller Says O-Line, Not Daniel Jones to Blame for Giants' 2023 Woes

Waller believes his former quarterback had no chance to succeed under last season's conditions.

Andrew Parsaud

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

The Darren Waller experiment for the New York Giants lasted just one season, the former Pro Bowl tight end calling it quits in June after appearing in 12 games and catching 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown.  

Despite only being there for the 2023 season, Waller's experience with the organization seems to have been positive. He appeared on the Ross Tucker Podcast to discuss his time with the Giants, praising Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll for trying to build a solid roster.

Waller was brought in last year to help aid quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones was coming off of a 2022 season in which he helped lead the Giants to their first playoff win since Super Bowl 46. 

His play earned him a four-year, $160 million extension before the 2023 season began, but the Giants made sure to make an attempt to improve his weapons, with Waller being the biggest addition.

The two had a strong connection during last summer's training camp, which excited fans about the potential of their new quarterback/tight end duo. 

Unfortunately, Jones and Waller would only play in five games together, as both dealt with injuries throughout the year. Jones received the worst end of the stick, suffering a neck injury in Week 5 and a torn ACL in Week 9.

Waller mentioned that they believed they had something special ahead of last season but noted that the protection didn't allow Jones to succeed.

"It's crazy, because we were going into the season like, 'Man, this might be special.' But it was like, we couldn't really protect him, and it's like, you can't expect anybody to be successful in the pocket like he was last year on our team on a week-in, week-out basis. I'm hoping that they can just give that dude a chance because when he got his bag, he just got there with no protection. I don't think he really got a fair shot to improve upon his play so I'm hoping that he can get that chance."

Jones' play last season wasn't up to par, but neither was the offensive line's. There wasn't just one problem with the Giants' offense last season, it was a culmination of many factors. 

Starting in Week 1, star left tackle Andrew Thomas injured his hamstring on a blocked field goal, causing him to miss several weeks afterward. It seemed like every week the Giants had a new starting five along the offensive line, allowing no room for continuity early on.

We'll never know what Waller and Jones could've done in a full season together, but it's fair to assume their strong connection would've translated. Even though they played in just five games together, Waller defending his former quarterback speaks volumes as to how bad the offensive line was last season.

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Andrew Parsaud

ANDREW PARSAUD

Andrew Parsaud is currently attending Penn State, where he is studying digital journalism and media. He is an avid follower of the major New York sports teams. 

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