Jayden Daniels should give the Giants a touch of quarterback envy

Brian Daboll will try not to stare dreamily at Jayden Daniels on Sunday, but he'll have a hard time.

Daboll will be like everyone else who can't take their eyes off Jayden Daniels.

Daniels, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, is the electrifying rookie franchise quarterback phenom who changed everything for his franchise.

There's a lot to like about Daniel Jones. He is smart, tough and reliable from day one. He says and does everything right in the eye of the relentless New York storm and shows himself to be the best version of Daniel Jones every game day.

But Daboll and the once again disgruntled Giants fans at MetLife Stadium will see Jayden Daniels leading the Commanders in first place and be plagued by franchise quarterback envy.

Because Giants fans will be the first to tell you that Daniel Jones, in the midst of his sixth season as Eli Manning's successor, hasn't changed everything for the Giants.

And now Jones is a lame-duck Giants franchise quarterback living on borrowed time. He is the starting quarterback who gives Daboll and the Giants the best chance to win until he isn't.

Their best chances of winning didn't result in enough wins. With each loss, as the 2-6 Giants inch ever closer to playoff elimination, Jones' last chance to clinch his dream job in DEFCON 1 becomes even more precarious.

The dark cloud lurking over his head is the $23 million injury guarantee for 2025, which becomes fully guaranteed if he is injured and cannot pass an offseason physical.

Once the Giants are eliminated from the playoffs, it makes no sense for Daboll and GM Joe Schoen to let Jones continue playing.

A possible doomsday scenario for Jones would be a loss to Daniels and then a 7-1 loss in Germany to the Panthers. The risk-reward ratio would then weigh heavily on Daboll, who thanks Jones for his 2022 playoff win and hands the keys to Drew Lock, with Tommy Cutlets also giving reason for thought.

Daniel Jones is on the brink.

Daboll's patience in waiting for points and wins is wearing thin. He couldn't stop whining about third downs and explosives.

It drives Daboll crazy that despite dynamic rookie receiver Malik Nabers and a more experienced and cohesive offensive line, Jones is not only 0-4 at MetLife Stadium this season but has yet to throw a touchdown pass. The Giants have scored a total of 31 points in four home games. The Commanders have scored 113 points in four home games.

Daboll is very proud of his playing performance and scoring 31 points in four home games is also on his resume. Commanders player Kliff Kingsbury could get another chance as a head coach thanks to Daniels.

Daniels is an instinctive, dual-threat playmaker. He brings joy to the field and clearly enjoys playing the position. He makes it look smooth and easy.

Too often it seems like an uphill battle for Jones. He strives to achieve lasting success over the course of the game and all too often falls short when he has to grab the decisive moment by the throat. Everyone admires his commitment, dedication and determination.

Unfortunately, he is the quarterback who doesn't receive any medals for his attempts.

Daboll raved about Daniels on Wednesday: “Well, he’s already one of the better quarterbacks in the league. He has great vision. He can throw the ball in any area he needs to throw it. He can throw it under pressure. He can escape and play with his feet. He can escape and play with his arm. He has good command, we knew that. When we spoke to him, he was a smart guy. He plays really well, at a high level. You can tell that he has a lot of self-confidence. He has a lot of yards per attempt – 8¹/₂, which is really good. He makes good decisions. He does a lot of good things.”

The 2025 QB class is currently considered thin. Daboll and GM Joe Schoen better find a way to do this right with a likely top-10 pick. Daboll knew all along that Daniel Jones was not Josh Allen. It's not lost on him that he's not Jayden Daniels either.

Daboll knew all along that Daniel Jones was not Josh Allen. It's not lost on him that he's not Jayden Daniels either.

Franchise quarterback envy for Brian Daboll.