It looks like everybody is not on board with Daniel Jones being benched.
Head coach Brian Daboll called it a “hard decision” during a team meeting Monday, but not everybody is on board with it amid a tough season.
Jones was not only benched but also demoted to third string behind backup Drew Lock, which essentially ensures that he won’t play again during the 2024 season.
It also appears that the $23 million injury guarantee in Daniel Jones contract won’t activate and that he will be released after the season.
Per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, the decision has caused a sense of “disappointment,” and players are upset that it was “primarily a financial decision.”
One player anonymously voiced his frustrations to Schultz.
“The sense I’ve gotten from multiple sources — players, coaches, and executives — is that the issues within the organization go far beyond just one person,” Schultz wrote on X.
“We’re not idiots. They did it because of money. So be it,” the player said. “But Daniel has been all class, never complained, and is now being completely disregarded. The team record is bad. You can point fingers everywhere. To try to blame him is trash, and making him third string is weak as f–k.”
Daniel Jones has two years remaining on his contract and is set to earn $30 million in 2025 and $46.5 million in 2026. He is unlikely to ever see that money from the New York Giants.
He also has a clause in his deal that states if he were to suffer an injury that prevented him from being able to pass a physical next March, the Giants would owe him $23 million whether he is on the team or not.
The team is clearly not risking him getting injured and is preparing to part ways with the quarterback.
Dexter Lawrence Speaks Out After Benching of Daniel Jones
One anonymous player on the Giants has already ripped the team for benching Daniel Jones, but Dexter Lawrence had zero plans of hiding his comments from the media.
“He’s the QB1. To me, he’s the best quarterback on the team,” offensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said.
“Because you don’t know their full thoughts behind it,” Lawrence said. “I think we trust the coaches and where they’re going and where they think we can go. That’s what you have to do. You have to be naïve and trust the process. You think about the wrong sh– and then you start playing like sh-t.”
Daniel Jones was demoted behind backup Drew Lock to third string.
Lawrence called Jones his “best friend.”
