Where will Daniel Jones land?
The former No. 6 overall pick and the New York Giants parted ways Friday, with the latter announcing that Jones had requested his release. The move ends the mess that ensued in the days after his performance- and financially-motivated benching — his demotion to fourth-string quarterback, playing scout-team safety in practice and his subsequent public statement Thursday. The Giants will incur more than $20 million in dead money with the move.
[Related: Giants release Daniel Jones at his request]
Since the trade deadline has passed, Jones will be subject to the waiver wire even though he is a vested veteran. But he’s expected to clear waivers, as any team claiming him would be on the hook for the rest of his four-year, $160 million contract if it did so. So it appears inevitable that the 2019 first-round pick will be an unrestricted free agent, with the ability to sign a new contract with any club.
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Here are six teams that make sense for Jones, and why each one could be a good fit.
This would make for an entertaining storyline at the very least, considering the Cowboys are the Giants’ division rival and the teams face off on Thanksgiving (4:30 p.m. ET on FOX). But it’s impossible to discount this.
Amid a disastrous year, Dallas could benefit from more competency at quarterback with Dak Prescott on season-ending injured reserve. Cooper Rush is 0-2 as a starter this season. And the fact that the Cowboys are starting him over Trey Lance shows how little faith the franchise has in the former No. 3 overall pick.
On paper, Dallas could give Jones an opportunity to get more tape before entering free agency in the spring.
Colin Cowherd reacts to the Giants’ release of Daniel Jones and ponders what’s next for the Giants
Like with the Cowboys, Jones would have the chance to step in as a starter relatively quickly with the Raiders. Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell have both started for Las Vegas this season, but the team doesn’t seem to have much faith in either. Minshew has been the starter by default as of late, with O’Connell on IR.
Jones has started more games (69) than Minshew (45) and Desmond Ridder (17) — who’s also on the roster — combined. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was also on the Giants’ staff in the same role during Jones’ second and third seasons in the NFL, so there’s a relationship here.
Daniel Jones has much more experience (69 starts), than Raiders incumbents Gardner Minshew (45) and Desmond Ridder (17). (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Jameis Winston is currently pegged to be the Browns’ QB1 for the rest of the season — he’s coming off a Thursday night win over the Pittsburgh Steelers — but this should be an attractive situation for Jones. A fall off from Winston would give him a chance to start for Cleveland, whose current backup options are Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe.
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Brock Purdy is currently battling a shoulder injury, which has made his status iffy for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. Jones would bring starting-level insurance in the weeks ahead for the Niners, whose franchise stability (even in a rough season by their standards), the presence of offensive guru Kyle Shanahan as coach, and a talented roster should strongly appeal to Jones after six seasons with the Giants. He’d be a much more reliable option than current backups Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs, who’ve started a combined 23 games to Jones’ 69.
Shanahan’s West Coast scheme, which places an emphasis on the quick, short passing game, could also help Jones rebuild his confidence.
Tua Tagovailoa’s health history makes the Dolphins’ QB2 job as attractive as any in the league with a clear-cut starter. That fact, plus the Dolphins’ talented offensive skill players and a top-11 rushing attack, would give Jones plenty of comfort if he has to play. Like the Niners, the Dolphins’ offense is rooted in a West Coast scheme.
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Kyler Murray has regained his Pro Bowl form, but the Cardinals don’t have an experienced backup behind him if he were to get injured. Clayton Tune, the only other quarterback on the active roster, has one career start. It’s why Jones should also be keeping an eye on Arizona, which has won four straight games.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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