New York Giants co-owner John Mara has taken a lot of heat in recent years and perhaps deservedly so. He’s cycled through general managers and head coaches like Tic-Tacs and repeatedly professed his support for controversial first-round pick Daniel Jones.
In January of 2022, at the time of Joe Schoen’s hiring, Mara shouldered the blame for Jones’ early-career inconsistency.
“We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here. We keep changing coaches, keep changing offensive coordinators, keep changing offensive line coaches. I take a lot of responsibility for that,” Mara said.
“I have a lot of hope in Daniel, and I know how badly he wants it. I know how the players feel about him. We are certainly not giving up on him by any stretch of the imagination.”
That was not a popular opinion at the time. Many of the fans and the entirety of the national media were certain Jones didn’t have what it takes. He was written off and calls for a new quarterback grew louder.
When the Giants declined Jones’ fifth-year option and signed quarterback Tyrod Taylor in free agency, many assumed that was the end of the story. If Jones somehow managed to keep his job, it would likely be a one-year situation and little more.
But Jones was determined to control his own future. And with the support of Mara, Schoen, and first-year head coach Brian Daboll, he excelled.
On Sunday, Jones put the Giants on his back and singlehandedly carried them into the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He did that with a monster performance that included four touchdowns and five total scoring drives.
When Jones was taken out of the game, he was met with a deafening roar from the fans, many of whom chanted “MVP.”
After the game, a smiling Mara acknowledged how gratifying it’s been to see Jones come into his own and lead the team like the owner always believed he could.
Giants owner John Mara, asked by The Post about Daniel Jones: “It’s great. To draft him as high as we drafted him, we got a lot of criticism. He took a lot of criticism. To see him come into his own is very gratifying.”
— Ian O'Connor (@Ian_OConnor) January 1, 2023
Jones has earned himself quite a bit of money this season, but you have to imagine that Mara and Schoen will be fine paying it. DJ is their franchise quarterback.
