Whatever happened to trading Saquon Barkley to build the unit around Daniel Jones? It’s not surprising that Joe Schoen’s decision didn’t work out. The worst thing about the decision? That call with Saquon Barkley was documented on video. In Barkley’s absence, the New York Giants have slipped to 2-8, and it’s a new low, even for them.

The condition of his team has hit Daniel Jones like a train. On Monday, after a conversation with him and the Giants’ other quarterback, head coach Brian Daboll made an official announcement: Jones will be a third-string quarterback despite being in only the second year of his 4-year, $160 million contract extension he signed in March 2023.

As you can imagine, Daboll’s conversation with Jones wouldn’t have been an easy one. After all, he was telling the 2019 first-round pick that his season and career with the Giants was effectively over. “I got a lot of respect for Daniel, I’ve said that before… Certainly, you’re not going to be happy about [being benched] as a competitor, and I respect that.” Instead, the New York-based franchise will give Tommy DeVito a chance, who, per Daboll, “created a little bit of a spark for us” in 2023.

Last season, rookie DeVito threw for 1,101 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in 9 games, resulting in a passer rating of 89.2. With DeVito set to start against the Buccaneers, Daniel Jones took to a presser after practice on Thursday and laid his heart out in front of the media. “The opportunity to play for the New York Giants was truly a dream come true and I’m extremely grateful to the Mara and Tisch families for the chance to play here. The Giants are truly a first-class organization and I have nothing but genuine respect and appreciation for the people who have built it and who helped carry on that tradition.”

The Giants QB thanked his coaches and staff for their help over the last six years, where he’s had “great times” with the team… and he wished to relive those memories again. But he knows that everything has an expiry date and now it’s his time to let his team seek the alternatives. It’s about winning, and Jones hasn’t been doing enough of it. The now-former starting quarterback is 22-44-1 with the Giants, and that’s not good enough.

“I take full responsibility for my part in not bringing more wins. No one wanted to win more games worse than me, and I gave everything I had on the field and in my preparation. Of course, this season has been disappointing for all and of course, I wish I could have done more. I’m 100% accountable for my part. I did not play well enough consistently to help the team get the results,” Jones added.

This season, he’s thrown for 2,070 yards (19th in the league), registering a 63.3% completion rate, 8 touchdowns (tied for 27th), and 7 interceptions (tied for 66th). Leading up to their Week 10 loss against the Panthers, the head coach showed his commitment to Jones despite the underwhelming performances. However, as they approached their Week 11 bye week, Daboll said he would “evaluate” the team and move forward. After that, Jones’ benching was almost inevitable… despite the financial repercussions it may have.

The Giants quarterback has no guaranteed money remaining after this season. If he’s cut following the current campaign, the New York-based franchise will take on $22 million in dead cap space next season, followed by $11 million in 2026, owing to the $23 million injury guarantee in his contract for 2025. This is somewhat similar to what happened to Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos.

They wanted him to take a back seat. That’s because his injury guarantees were kicking in soon, and he wasn’t doing so well on the field. So, with three games left to play in 2023, Sean Payton and the Broncos benched Wilson to protect themselves against a substantial injury guarantee. Once Denver cut the veteran quarterback, the Steelers snapped him up, but the Broncos are still paying $38 million of his salary this season. As a result of the timing, Payton & Co. is on the hook for an $85 million cap hit ($53 million in 2024; $32 million in 2025).

It’s the same case as the Giants, who don’t want Jones to get hurt, which might be one of the reasons they decided to bench him. Apart from his underwhelming performance on the gridiron, that is. But that’s just the half of it. Where do we even begin with all the craziness that Daniel Jones is going through? True, his performance hasn’t been exemplary. If anything, he’s regressed since the year he was drafted (2019). But even Russell Wilson didn’t have to go through the kind of mess Jones is in. DJ’s situation is truly unique.

Daniel Jones might not play as a quarterback again

First things first, the team downgraded Jones to a third-string quarterback despite his $40 million annual salary. The craziest thing about the whole ordeal is Jones has fallen all the way down to scout team duties. What’s even more bizarre is DJ playing safety in the Giants roster. At this point, he’d do anything to help the team, even play safety.

“I’m still processing and trying to think through [the] best thing for this team, what the best thing is for me,” Jones said after practice. The surprises keep coming as Jones, currently listed as the third-string quarterback on ESPN, fights for that spot with Tim Boyle.

So, who’s the QB1? Well, Tommy DeVito has taken Daniel Jones’ spot, and Jones might not be able to reclaim it this season. This situation is nowhere near what Russell Wilson faced in the Broncos. At least the Denver franchise didn’t force him to play safety. They only benched him because of performance issues and also because they asked him to defer nearly $40 million in injury guarantees to the following year, which he didn’t.

The thing is, Daniel Jones doesn’t have the same kind of credibility as Russell Wilson. He hasn’t won a Super Bowl. In fact, he’s still far from winning one. The good thing is that Jones didn’t put up any drama and embraced the benching despite any inhibitions he might have had about the decision. “I’m excited for the next opportunity and know that there’s a lot of good football in front of me and I’m excited about that,” he concluded.