Phil Simms doesn’t believe Daniel Jones will play in 2019
By Bryan Perez
When will QB Daniel Jones make his debut for the New York Giants?
New York Giants Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Phil Simms, offered his take on Big Blue’s quarterback situation recently and provided some insight into when he believes first-round pick Daniel Jones will get his chance to run with the starters.
Spoiler alert: It may not happen in 2019.
“If the chance comes up that maybe it’s not going well, they lose games, then Daniel Jones, if they think they can give him a shot somewhere during the year, they’ll take it,” Simms told the New York Post. “But only if the Giants think they are out of the race.”
Sure, that makes total sense. It’s usually the approach teams take when a first-round rookie is behind an aging veteran and the season turns south. The young guy gets a chance to prove himself in a low-pressure environment while giving the club a peek at how far he’s developed since joining the team.
But this is where it gets interesting. Simms doesn’t think that scenario will play out in 2019. He told the Post that he believes Manning is setting up to have a big season because of the offensive pieces the Giants have surrounded him with. Players like Sterling Sheppard, Golden Tate, Evan Engram and, of course, Saquon Barkley fit Manning’s strengths, according to Simms, and will give No. 10 a chance to have the best statistical season of his career.
And that may be true, but the track for Jones to get on the field won’t be determined by Manning’s box score. It’s going to come down to the Giants’ record.
New York’s first eight games include winnable matchups against the Bills, Buccaneers, Redskins, Cardinals and Lions, so barring an absolute meltdown, Jones should remain sidelined through at least the first half of the season.
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The second half of the schedule isn’t as forgiving, with games against the Cowboys, Bears, Packers and two matchups versus the Eagles. If the Giants aren’t flirting with a .500 record at the start of December, the change to Jones could be made by the December 15 matchup against the Dolphins.