Daniel Jones named biggest distraction facing New York Giants in 2024

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones said last week that he believes he will be ready for training camp in six weeks after missing the second half of the 2023 season with a torn ACL.

It was also established that Jones would be the starter when healthy and free agent Drew Lock would be the backup.

Lock himself told reporters that he was the backup to Jones and was here to “help Daniel.”

“You hope your team is playing good football, and you hope Daniel stays healthy,” Lock said this spring. “But do everything you can to be ready. When that time comes, just make the best of it.”

Head coach Brian Daboll settled the issue at the team’s minicamp this past week while not demising either player.

“He understands his role. I think he’s come a long way,” Daboll said of Lock. “There is a lot to learn playing that position. There is a lot of vocabulary, there’s new plays. One word means something to him in another system. He’s been to a few different places. He has been a true pro… He has definitely improved since he has gotten here.”

There’s really no controversy — yet — but national pundits are pushing the narrative that Jones’ status as the starter is vulnerable.

In a recent piece for Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine listed Jones’ status as one of his 8 Biggest Distractions Facing NFL Teams in 2024.

Diana Russini told The Athletic Football Show (h/t Jared Durbin of CBS Sports) that trading up for a QB in the 2024 draft was a “tough sell to ownership” after giving Daniel Jones a four-year, $160 million contract last offseason.

That was after Rich Eisen noted after the combine that he was hearing the Giants had “buyer’s remorse” for giving the 27-year-old his new deal.

If Jones gets off to a slow start coming off his ACL injury, the potential push for Lock and a move for Daboll to stay off the hot seat could quickly become a distraction.

No arguments there. A distraction is possible but right now it’s pretty much cast in stone that Jones will have to either fall flat on his face or suffer a major injury to lose his job.

Lock is signed for one season and was brought in after Tyrod Taylor defected to the Jets in free agency this March.