Joe Judge isn't yet a full season into his tenure as New York Giants head coach, and he's only overseen Daniel Jones as his team's starting quarterback for 12 games. But that isn't stopping him from supporting his second-year signal-caller. Asked Wednesday about his future plans surrounding Jones, Judge was effusive in his praise for the quarterback, not only absolving him of the blame for some of the Giants' 2020 issues but unofficially committing to him as New York's No. 1 QB for 2021.
"This guy's definitely earned my respect," Judge told reporters. "I kind of made it hard on him in a lot of ways, and he didn't blink. He has demonstrated toughness, leadership and knowledge. Daniel Jones is our quarterback."
At 5-9, the Giants are on pace for a potential top-10 draft pick in 2021, possibly putting them within reach of a top QB prospect. It was just 2019, however, when New York spent the sixth overall pick on Jones, who has repeatedly elicited public support from Judge throughout the season. The Duke product has struggled to take a major, or even small, step forward from his promising, if unpredictable, rookie campaign. But at 23, he remains one of the youngest QBs in the NFL.
After breaking a dozen franchise records as a rookie, not to mention succeeding Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, Jones has endured a stark decline in production in 2020, throwing just eight touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 starts. While he has made an increased impact with his legs, he's also missed two of the Giants' last three games with ankle and hamstring injuries.
