Giants’ Daniel Jones should be backup in 2025, hope for Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold situation, ex-NFL MVP says

Daniel Jones has finally been benched as the starting quarterback of the New York Giants, officially ending his six-year run as QB1 with the franchise that had significantly more lows than highs. Just 27 years old, Jones’ career in New York will be over — yet he can latch on with another team and rebuild his profession.

Can Jones accomplish this as a starting quarterback again? “NFL Today” analyst and former NFL MVP Matt Ryan feels Jones can start once again — but not in 2025. 

“We’ve seen the reemergence of guys like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, where it’s taken a few stops along the way and they’ve gotten back into a good situation and they’ve had production,” Ryan said on CBS Sports HQ Monday. “I think Daniel Jones is hoping for a situation like that — be a backup for a year or two and kind of learn and maybe get an opportunity to play — and play well enough to earn a starting role.”

Plenty of quarterbacks have revitalized their careers with other franchises, with Mayfield and Darnold being the two most ideal examples. Darnold is 10th in the NFL in passer rating (100.0), while throwing 19 touchdowns to 10 interceptions for the Minnesota Vikings this season. Mayfield is fifth in the league in passer rating (103.6), throwing for 24 touchdowns to nine interceptions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season. 

Jones can go a similar path as Darnold and Mayfield, if he settles as a backup and not a starter in 2025. There may not be a job for him anyway. 

“I look at starting positions that are gonna be open next year and I don’t see a place where an organization is gonna pay Daniel Jones that starting quarterback money right now,” Ryan said. “I think he goes to the bench for a little while. … I just don’t see a spot for him as starting quarterback next year.”

Of the 37 quarterbacks with 1,000+ pass attempts since 2019, Jones is 33rd in passer rating (84.3), 27th in completion rate (64.1%), 37th in touchdown rate (3.1%) and 34th in yards per attempt (6.5). If Jones is to start again, he’ll need to develop in another system and learn from a coach who tailors to his strengths — which he wasn’t getting in New York.