Daniel Jones won’t have Darren Waller to throw to this season after the tight end retired this offseason.
The Giants quarterback, though, does have Waller’s support.
Waller expects Jones to bounce back from the torn ACL that ended his 2023 season. He threw two touchdowns and six interceptions in six games before going onto injured reserve.
“I’m just excited for him to get another opportunity,” Waller said recently on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via NFL.com. “I feel like he gets a bad rep. [In] 2022, man, [he] played such good football. Last year was his first opportunity to get out there and play on the new bag that he got. It was tough for us as an offense to protect him, and you can’t put any quarterback back there and not have any protection and expect them to really, truly thrive in the pocket.
"[I’m] hoping that they can get those things shored up and allow him to have an opportunity to show that he is a talented dude. He’s very athletic, like get his opportunity to play the football that he was playing in 2022. I feel like that’s definitely still in him.”
Jones signed a four-year, $160 million extension after throwing for 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushing for 708 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022.
But Jones took 30 sacks in six games last season and missed time with a neck injury before the knee injury prematurely ended his season.
He won’t have Waller or running back Saquon Barkley, who left for the Eagles in free agency.
The Giants added receiver Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick and signed offensive linemen Jermaine Eluemunor, Jon Runyan and Aaron Stinnie.
Regardless, there’s no getting around it the fact that this is an important year for Jones.
“I know for a fact he’s motivated and excited to get back out there, excited to lead,” Waller said. “That’s when you learn the most about dudes is responding to opportunities like this.”
