Former NFL executive blasts Giants for treatment of Daniel Jones

Former NFL player/executive and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick ripped the Giants after it was reported that GM Joe Schoen is "absolutely done" with QB Daniel Jones and could draft his replacement.

"He played six games this year," Riddick said about Jones during Wednesday's edition of the "Get Up" program, as Ed Valentine of Big Blue View shared. "He was sacked 30 times in six games. Their pass block win rate is in the bottom quarter of the NFL...Darren Waller is a guy who didn’t pan out for them the way they hoped. They have no weapons on the perimeter. And now all of a sudden, now they’re done..."

Jones missed time this past fall because of a neck injury and failed to finish all six of his 2023 starts before he suffered a torn ACL on Nov. 5. While in the lineup, the 26-year-old, who signed a four-year contract last March, completed 67.5% of 160 passes for 909 yards with just two touchdowns and six interceptions. He also routinely took beatings playing behind an awful offensive line. 

Riddick criticized Giants head coach Brian Daboll for going from being the 2022 Coach of the Year "to having turmoil throughout his staff." Daboll's alleged "madman" demeanor on gamedays reportedly played some part in defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale leaving the Giants in January, and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka seemingly wanted out before he was blocked from speaking with the Seattle Seahawks. The Giants ultimately added the title of assistant head coach to Kafka's résumé.

Riddick acknowledged he's never been the biggest Jones fan but suggested the Giants deserve plenty of blame for all that's gone wrong with their 2019 first-round draft pick, minus a single career playoff victory he notched in January 2023. 

"When you have this kind of thing that is happening within one calendar year there’s no way you can make headway," Riddick continued. "...But when you have this kind of flip-flopping and these kind of 180 turns away from people and these kinds of structural deficiencies, no wonder you can’t make up any ground." 

It was revealed on Wednesday that multiple NFL executives believe the Giants will use the sixth pick of the 2024 draft to give Jones either an offensive playmaker or some needed protection up front even though Schoen can escape the signal-caller's contract next offseason. Riddick seems to favor such a plan even if he isn't convinced Jones will ever be ranked among the elite players at the sport's most important position.