New York Giants release QB Daniel Jones, John Mara says
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants are releasing quarterback Daniel Jones days after announcing Tommy DeVito is taking over as the starter, team president John Mara said.
The Giants officially benched Jones, their 2019 first-round draft pick, on Monday when head coach Brian Daboll said DeVito would start the final seven games of the season and Drew Lock would be his backup.
The Giants could have held Jones hostage for the rest of the season, but they didn't.
In a statement on the Giants website, Mara said Friday, "Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him. We mutually agreed that would be best for him and for the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way. His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out. We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him. We wish him nothing but the best in the future."
"Sad and happy at the same time. Happy because when he goes in there and asks, they granted it to him and, you know, I'm sure he really appreciates that," quarterback Drew Lock said. "So I'm happy for him, but at the same time you're sad to see a brother go."
"You see it across the league everywhere, where, you know, sometimes some things just don't work out, and other opportunities and doors will open where a lot of people across the league will make the most of it. So I look forward to watching him be out in the field again. Looking forward to, if we're on different teams, maybe on the same team again at some certain point, just being in his presence, because he's a really awesome dude," quarterback Tommy DeVito said.
Jones is learning a lesson in life: Every story has an ending, and every ending is a chance at a new beginning.
Jones' run with the Giants is over
Jones and the Giants have struggled all season. New York is 2-8 entering Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and ranks near the bottom in net passing yards per game.
"Obviously not playing the way any of us want to play, and that's on all of us," Daboll said when announcing the quarterback change. "But felt like this was a decision that we needed to make here to try to spark things, change things up and we went with Tommy again."
DeVito, in his second season, will be trying to snap the Giant's five-game losing streak in this week's game.