NY Giants could look to Commanders for QB help after Daniel Jones farce

Daniel Jones has been a constant thorn in the Washington Commanders' side since entering the league as a first-round pick. However, it's hard not to feel a little empathy for the quarterback after the way he's been treated by the New York Giants in recent days.

His performances weren't good enough for the Giants to guarantee his contract next season. A benching was inevitable. Going to No. 4 on the depth chart and playing safety for the scout team in practice was a bit much.

If that wasn't enough, Jones went in front of the media to give a statement akin to a retirement speech. The benching was fair game, especially given the money involved. How it was handled is nothing short of embarrassing.

As it turned out, this led to Jones being released on Friday with some significant dead-cap ramifications attached.

That's of no consequence to the Commanders, who've finally found someone capable of being their franchise quarterback after decades of searching. It's amazing what the right environment can do for a player, so the Giants better get their act together if they're planning on bringing in a talented prospect from the college ranks in 2025.

Commanders QB Marcus Mariota touted as potential NY Giants target

Arden Cravalho from Sports Illustrated touted the prospect of Commanders' backup Marcus Mariota being another option to consider. Something the college analyst believes his previous experience as a mentor and bridge could be an asset to the Giants as they look to provide some much-needed stability to their quarterback room.

"The New York Giants are looking for a new answer at quarterback and former Oregon Duck [Marcus] Mariota has been tied to New York as a great bridge option as a veteran who could also help in the development of a rookie signal-caller. With the confusion of what's going in the New York quarterback room and the success of [Jayden] Daniels in Washington, Mariota may have the opportunity to make a career change from veteran backup before the upcoming NFL Draft and move over to a potential starter for the franchise in dead last of the NFC. The Commanders are currently at a 7-4 record and in the final NFC playoff spot while the Giants are dealing with the struggles of being 2-8."

- Arden Cravalho, SI

Mariota's filled the veteran role superbly since joining the Commanders in free agency. He knew that playing time would be minimal unless they were involved in blowouts one way or another. His primary objective was to help Jayden Daniels through a critical rookie transition - something he's done with aplomb so far.

One only has to look at the way Daniels speaks so glowingly about Mariota to see how influential he's been. The Commanders might want to keep him around and build on this blossoming relationship. However, the chance to potentially start while a college prospect gets up to speed is a tempting proposition.

There's a long way to go and a lot of football left before the 2025 recruitment period rolls around. Mariota will be aiming to help the Commanders in any way he can on their potential playoff quest. Everything is out of his hands after that.

The one certainty is it's all over for Jones in New York.

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