Unpredictability is the nature of the NFL. Fans tune in every game because they know that their 1-5 squad has a legitimate shot at pulling out a win against a 5-1 team. At the end of the day, fans know that every player on that 1-5 team is a fully grown man working his absolute best to provide for his family. They know that the most important thing to every player on that field is winning every game they get to play.

 

    The entire NFL system is designed to make sure that every matchup is worth watching. The draft is engineered to help underperforming teams grow, and free agency allows teams with young players and/or ample cap space to add a proven winner to their roster. A team can never be counted out in any game because the NFL is designed to prevent that from happening.

 

    Just as teams can never be counted out, the players can’t be either. The Comeback Player of the Year (CPOY) award was created in 1962 and is given to the player who has achieved the most significant rebound (whether from injury or poor play) from the year(s) prior. The existence of this award is proof that the NFL is a pristine manufacturer of uncertainty.

 

    A prime example of an underperforming early career is that of former Giants signal caller Daniel Jones. Jones was selected with the sixth overall pick out of Duke and was believed to be the newest franchise QB since Eli Manning. With his 6’5”, 230-pound frame, Jones was seen as a physical specimen with all the tools necessary to succeed in the evolving landscape of the NFL. Needless to say, his career has not followed the predicted arc.

 

    Throughout his six years in the Meadowlands, Jones has consistently underperformed, showing only flashes of the talent scouts raved about in college. Playing behind a lackluster offensive line and throwing to subpar wide receivers only worsened his reputation, but Daniel Jones was unable to elevate the Giants into the range of “contender.” While he made the playoffs once during his tenure, his own stats during the season were pedestrian, and he was largely carried by his now-Eagles RB, Saquon Barkley.

 

    Thus far, the speedy QB nicknamed “Danny Dimes” has looked good at times but has too often missed open receivers, held on to the ball for too long, and shown decision-making far below the standard for a professional quarterback. At this point, one may ask why another team would make a difference. To answer this question, I’ll point you to the QBs whose careers started similarly to Jones’.

 

    Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and Jared Goff. Each of these signal-callers has been subject to the same kinds of criticism that Jones finds himself facing now. Each of these was a “generational prospect” drafted by teams needing a savior to help revive their beloved fanbases. Unfortunately, some combination of impossible expectations, lousy coaching, and insufficient support led to poor performance. Geno Smith’s run with the Jets came to an end after an altercation with a teammate led to a broken jaw. Sam Darnold infamously “saw ghosts” in the middle of a 33-0 beatdown by the Patriots in 2019. Baker Mayfield’s decline in play and disputes with upper management led to the end of his career with the Browns. Jared Goff was flung from LA after being unable to take care of the football.

 

    While these players’ reputations tanked after leaving the teams that drafted them, the NFL system is designed to maximize talent, no matter how latent it seems to be. This league is designed for both teams and players to rebound. Every single man touching the field possesses extraordinary talent evident from a young age. When given a real opportunity, these players can reverse the narratives surrounding their professional careers.

Geno Smith won the starting job after Russell Wilson was traded in 2022. The career backup won the CPOY and has participated in back-to-back Pro Bowls. Sam Darnold became the starter in Minnesota for the 2024 season; he threw 35 touchdowns, won 14 games, and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Tampa Bay took a chance on Baker Mayfield in 2023, and in the two years he’s been there, he’s thrown for 8,500 yards and 69 touchdowns. Jared Goff turned a perennial loser in the Detroit Lions into a consistent Super Bowl contender and has also been a persistent Pro Bowler.

 

    No quarterback can ever be counted out, and Daniel Jones is no exception. The Giants set Jones up to fail, but he is an immensely gifted player who has had a bad shake of things. In a league designed to allow players to rebound, Jones has the ability and the talent to do so. Smith. Darnold. Baker. Goff. JONES. If he has the right mindset, he can do it. With the right mentality and the backing of a functional franchise, nothing is stopping Daniel Jones from becoming Danny Dimes.