He was sorry to see Daniel Jones go, but New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton believes the team’s former starting quarterback will make a shock comeback.
Slayton’s belief is based on the exploits of another flop QB made good. Namely, how ex-No. 3 pick Sam Darnold went from NFL draft bust to Pro Bowler with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
After spending the best part of six seasons with Jones, Slayton knows his old teammate is capable of something similar. The wideout made his case to The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov during an appearance on the NFL Spotlight podcast.
Slayton explained what went wrong for Jones with Big Blue, “we weren’t good enough the previous few years on offense, and typically, the tip of that spear is the quarterback. So, you know, if your offense continues to not be good and you add weapons and all that, and you’re still not good, like that’s ultimately where the buck stops, you know, in this league.”
While he put the onus on Jones for the Giants faltering in recent seasons, Slayton still believes Jones “will be a successful quarterback in this league, and I feel like Sam Darnold kind of just showed everybody that like, you know, this league is largely about being in the right place at the right time.”
It’s debatable if Jones is in the right place at the right time after signing with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. Certainly, it’s tougher to agree he’s landed among as much talent as Darnold was surrounded by in Minnesota last season, but Slayton’s words add to the growing narrative Jones is primed for a spectacular comeback.
Sam Darnold a Tough Act to Follow for Daniel Jones
Replicating what Darnold did won’t be easy for Jones. Especially when Darnold posted some outstanding numbers, including 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air.
Darnold got started by dissecting the Giants for a pair of scoring passes in Week 1. At the same time, Jones was making negative plays like this pick-six gift wrapped to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.
Jones had telegraphed a screen pass to inconsistent third-year slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. Meanwhile, Darnold had already thrown a touchdown to All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson.
The difference in talent between both supporting casts for the respective QBs was obvious and painful for the Giants. Yet, not all of Jones’ issues could be attributed to the generally mediocre weapons around him.
Jones was also a turnover machine who failed to protect the football and routinely hesitated in the pocket. Maybe that will change now he’s playing behind a strong Colts offensive line led by seven-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson, and throwing to Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and rookie tight end Tyler Warren, while handing off to three-time 1,000-yard running back Jonathan Taylor.
That group may not be quite comparable to Darnold connecting with Jefferson and fellow wideout Jordan Addison, as well as handing the ball to Pro Bowl back Aaron Jones, but it’s more solid than what Jones had at the start of last season.
The Giants won’t worry too much about what’s around Jones in Indy. Not when they have their own evolving quarterback setup to manage.
What’s more concerning is the idea the Giants might miss Jones more than they think.
Giants Have Reason to Miss Daniel Jones
At least one Giants playmaker in the backfield will likely long for Jones’ dual-threat rushing skills. No longer benefitting from the lanes a mobile signal-caller can open will increase the pressure on Jones’ replacement to win from the pocket.
It’s a tall order for 36-year-old Russell Wilson, who’s a 10-time Pro Bowler, but is also dealing with declining skills entering his 14th campaign in the pros. The decline already has the Giants trying to fix a core problem in Wilson’s game.
Wilson can defy his critics by leaning into his enduring talent as a vertical thrower. It’s a trait perfect for a natural field-stretcher like Slayton.
He often provided Jones with a deep target, like for this throw and catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, highlighted by “Giants Nation Show” host Bobby Skinner.
More plays like this should be in store for Slayton with Wilson throwing the passes. Their combination, along with dynamic No. 1 wideout Malik Nabers, ought to make it easier for the Giants to ignore whatever Jones is doing for the Colts.
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