In early June, weeks before transitioning back to the game of baseball, wide receiver Golden Tate offered up an admission while appearing on NFL Total Access.
Asked specifically about New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, whom he had spent two seasons with in East Rutherford, Tate gushed. He said Jones was incredibly intelligent and had the ability to make every throw.
However, Tate said, there were coaching issues that restricted Jones’ ability to grow and shine.
During a Wednesday interview with NJ Advance Media, Tate doubled-down on those comments and even expressed a little pity for Jones.
“I honestly feel bad for Daniel,” Tate said. “He was drafted into a rebuilding organization for one, had Pat Shurmur for a year and then got Joe Judge for two years, now another head coach and another rebuild going into his fourth season. He hasn’t had Saquon [Barkley], myself, [Kenny] Golladay, Sterling [Shepard] — no one is ever on the field at the same time. And then on top of that, he had [Jason] Garrett [as his offensive coordinator] and that probably didn’t help much.
“So you kind of feel bad for him because a ton of talent. He has a lot of talent but he just hasn’t had much help due to injuries and how they set it up.”
Fair points all around but ones people are tired of hearing about. The NFL is a results-driven business and fair or not, Jones hasn’t gotten the job done. As a result, the reality of his situation is lost on most.
Jones will enter the 2021 season as a lame duck and his Giants future, which he’s given little thought to, is very much up in the air. The one saving grace may be the presence of head coach Brian Daboll, who intends to let Jones be far more aggressive than his predecessor.
“I’m looking forward to [them] just letting him loose, man,” Tate said. “Just let him go out there and play ball. He’s a smart guy. He’s going to make good decisions. But you’ve got to set him up to be successful. And I’m just hoping that those guys rally because this is the one thing I know about DJ: he’s going to be prepared. He’s going to be prepared and he’s going to follow what you want him to do. But let him play ball, too. Let him play ball. Get the ball to your playmakers and let them go.
“I think he knows and believes that this is a very important year for his career and he’s probably feeling a little pressure. But I know with his preparation, he’s going to be ready. But being healthy is key.”
Jones looked sharp throughout OTAs and minicamp but as Tate notes, none of that will matter if he and his teammates can’t stay on the field.
