Days removed from making NFL history with a legendary come-from-behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones once again found himself in the crosshairs.
Jones and the Giants were soundly beaten by the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football, and that allowed the DJ critics to emerge from the rocks they had been hiding under.
Buy Giants TicketsAlthough Jones was the least of the Giants’ concerns on the night, he wasn’t able to beat the 49ers singlehandedly. And for Danny Dimes, that’s really all it takes to stir people up.
Not only did Jones catch heat on social media and from national talking heads, he also caught a few unprovoked shots from anonymous members of the 49ers.
“The dude did not want to throw the ball,” one unnamed 49ers defender told Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Early on, you could tell it wasn’t gonna happen. Everything was a checkdown. At that point, we knew what time it was.”
Nothing screams “brave” like insulting another man through the comfort of anonymity.
Other anonymous 49ers also chimed in. One called Jones’ salary “unbelievable.” A second yelled out from the shadows, “That’s a travesty, man.” A third said Jones’ contract was “ridiculous.”
All four were too scared to stand by their opinion publicly, which really calls into question how strongly they believe the words that are falling off their tongues.
But some 49ers were brave enough to put their name out there. They showed far more guts than their teammates.
“A lot of people who make all that money don’t even deserve it. I think they took a chance (when they paid him). I mean, he’s not bad. And if you ain’t got nothing better,” 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw said.
“Forty million dollars a year is a lot of money,” Niners cornerback Charvarius (Mooney) Ward said.
Notice how toned down those criticisms are compared to those who shared their hot takes anonymously?
Either way, it’s considered taboo in the NFL to speak on another player’s salary. It’s a locker-room no-no and violating the league’s unwritten rules is looked down upon. Doing it all anonymously is viewed in an even more negative light and warrants no respect.
