Even casual football fans can see New York Giants QB Daniel Jones has fallen off a cliff.
But one former teammate says Jones’ regression as a starting quarterback in the NFC East says the decline has been even worse than most realize.
“The Daniel Jones that I saw on Sunday in that game is not the Daniel Jones that I watched take them to the divisional round of the playoffs,” former tight end Kyle Rudolph said. “It’s not the guy I played with when I was there for a year. His confidence looks completely destroyed. How can you blame him? Every time he goes out there, he’s fighting for his life.”
Jones parlayed that surprising playoff run two seasons ago into a $160 million contract.
Now he’s on the verge of getting benched, and New York boo-birds come calling on a fairly frequent rate.
The quarterback dysfunction in New York can only be good news for the Dallas Cowboys, who look to be the class of the division alongside the Philadelphia Eagles.
The New York Post has more on Jones’ precipitous drop in production:
Kyle Rudolph doesn’t recognize the Daniel Jones playing quarterback for the Giants after being impressed with him during their lone season as teammates in 2021.
“The Daniel Jones that I saw on Sunday in that game is not the Daniel Jones that I watched take them to the divisional round of the playoffs,” Rudolph said on “Up & Adams” on Thursday. “It’s not the guy I played with when I was there for a year. His confidence looks completely destroyed. How can you blame him? Every time he goes out there, he’s fighting for his life.”
Rudolph noted that he thinks highly of Jones from their time together in East Rutherford, but he joined the growing chorus of those criticizing Jones’ horrendous performance from Week 1 against the Vikings.
Jones went 22-for-42 with 186 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, including a pick-six, in the 28-6 loss to the Vikings.
Boos rained down on Jones, both during and after the game, and even Vikings players felt bad for the $160 million quarterback.
His horrendous showing raises questions about the Giants’ ceiling and floor this season, which figures to be a pivotal one for Jones, general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll.
“He’s got to get his confidence back,” said Rudolph, who played for the Vikings from 2011-20. “I don’t know how they get it back, but that guy I watched on Sunday playing against my other former team … that wasn’t the guy that I know and that I know he has the ability to be.
