Last season, Daniel Jones had his best year and led the New York Giants to their first playoff berth since 2016. Jones’ performance silenced many of his biggest critics and earned him a long-term extension from Big Blue this offseason.
However, there are plenty who still don’t believe in the Giants’ quarterback.
Over the weekend, former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell, who last played in 2021, took aim at Jones, calling him a ‘bottom-tier’ quarterback while discussing the running backs market and Saquon Barkley:
“Daniel Jones, he’s in the bottom tier. He’s in the bottom tier of NFL quarterbacks,” Bell said on the AP Pro Football podcast with Rob Maaddi.
“He’s not mediocre. There are average quarterbacks, he’s in the bottom tier. I’m not here trying to talk bad about Daniel Jones. I’m just trying to be real for everybody who’s hearing it. He’s in the bottom tiers. Saquon [Barkley] is in the top tier of his position, running back. So how does that make sense?”
With the running back market being a hot topic this offseason, many have talked about Bell, who sat out an entire season during the prime of his career. His performance on the field was never the same after that.
Bell’s name was connected to Barkley when the star running back didn’t rule out sitting out. Barkley’s contract was, of course, resolved earlier last week just in time for training camp, and he went on to say that sitting out would not have been a wise decision.
Jones has been unfazed by his doubters over the course of his career. There is an obvious belief in him from the Giants’ front office following the extension earlier this offseason.
Naturally, more will be expected of DJ this coming season after he took a massive leap in his 2022 campaign.
