Anatomy of a franchise-killing decision: The day the Giants chose Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley

Conventional wisdom in the NFL is that you pay quarterbacks and replace running backs. The former is cherished. The latter is expendable.

Maybe that’s what, in the end, drove the New York Giants braintrust to make one of the most brainless decisions in recent league history — doubling down on quarterback Daniel Jones despite an absence of evidence in his ability and thus leaving themselves without the resources to keep running back Saquon Barkley, who redefines value at his position.

In the end, it’s going to cost everyone their job after it already cost the Giants (2-8) another season.

Jones was benched Monday for back-up Tommy DeVito, presumably ending Jones’ six seasons in New York with a dismal 22-44-1 record as a starter.

Barkley, meanwhile, is in Philadelphia, coming off a 146-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance (plus another 52 receiving yards) in a victory over Washington as the 8-2 Eagles, who scooped in to outbid the Giants last offseason, dream of the Super Bowl.

Barkley, with his 1,137 rushing yards and 10 total scores on the season is a reasonable inclusion in any league MVP talk.

Make no mistake, one decision led to the other, a series of NFC East dominoes where the smart take from the confused.

After the 2022 season, the Giants were looking to work long-term deals with — or place a franchise tag on — Jones and Barkley. Jones had been a reach of a draft selection at sixth overall in 2019 coming out of Duke. He’d done little to show he deserved a contract extension. New York was coming off a playoff appearance, including a wild card weekend victory, but Jones’ production didn’t seem to be the reason — just 15 touchdowns that season. In the 31-7 playoff loss to Philly, he threw for just 135 yards and no touchdowns.

Barkley meanwhile was not just the face of the Giants’ franchise but the heart of it — and otherworldly skilled back. He had rushed for 1,312 yards and 10 scores and as the key to the Giants offense, no doubt played a…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-18 14:59:53

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