Every summer, 50 NFL coaches and executives vote on tiers of quarterbacks. They are granted anonymity so that their voting and comments are candid and truthful, and an accurate reflection on the state of the quarterbacks in the NFL.
Last year, The Athletic had New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones ranked in Tier 3, but this year he fell to Tier 4.
A Tier 1 quarterback is defined as someone who can carry his team from week to week and is largely responsible for the team’s success. Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen were the only three Tier 1 quarterbacks.
Jones fell to Tier 4, which means he “could be an unproven player or a veteran who ideally would not start all 17 games.”
Jones has been plagued by injuries, administration changes, and a shoddy offensive line over his entire career. In five seasons, he’s only appeared in 16 games once. Last season, he went 1-5 before he tore his ACL, which is likely what caused him to lose the ground he gained among voters in 2022.
“I’ve actually watched a lot of him,” a former head coach said. “I would give him a 3. He’s not bad. I don’t know how much he is going to run after knee and neck injuries, but it’s his ability to run that gives him some life. The throwing is just average.”
Jones also has $23 million in injury guarantees for 2025, which could be an incentive for playing Drew Lock. Another voter discussed how the words “Daniel Jones” and “injury guarantee” are going to come up this year. It’s a legitimate concern with Jones.
That voter went on to say that the Giants aren’t selling tickets around Jones, but Malik Nabers.
“You go out to the gun range, you shoot a gun, you feel real comfortable hitting the target,” a defensive coach said. “But when people are shooting back, he is not as accurate. When the (expletive) gets moving and it’s live football, I think that is what gets him — missing throws, making more mistakes.”
Jones is, by far, the most criticized quarterback in the NFL. It’s definitely a make-or-break season for him, and not just as the Giants QB but as an NFL QB in general.
The truth is, we won’t know what tier quarterback Jones is until the season starts.
