A hot topic in the NFL for the last year or two has been the phenomenon of highly talented, highly selected quarterbacks going to dysfunctional teams, underperforming, and then, consequently, being cast aside. Too often, quarterbacks have been taken in the first round to ‘save the franchise,’ only for them to underperform and disappoint. The underlying cause for this is that these teams, desperate for someone to turn the franchise around, often have little to no infrastructure already in place that contributes to quarterback and team success. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone when a team with no O-line, no receivers, and a dysfunctional OC/HC drafts a quarterback who ends up not being successful in their first few years with the team. However, teams still act like the supporting cast doesn't matter. They draft a quarterback as the first step of their rebuild instead of their last. It is not fair to these young men who get ‘chosen’ to resurrect a team but get no receiver help, no protection, and most importantly, no mentorship or beneficial coaching. These men are expected to put the entire franchise on their shoulders and lead the team to greatness in their first year.

 

These expectations are the worst part because when these top-selected players can’t lead the team to success, their careers are defined as being busts. Of course, there are exceptions. These are the Sam Darnolds and Geno Smiths of the world who are able to rebound and find success on a team that believes in them and gives them the coaching and resources they need. But more often than not, these highly touted guys placed on bad teams end up like Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, Josh Rosen—and the list goes on. You know these names. Players like this live in infamy. They get so much hate for not living up to the impossible expectations placed upon them. All the fault that truly falls on the leadership (HC, GM, ownership) gets dumped on these signal-callers. These young men are used as scapegoats so that their GM and HC get to keep their jobs and try again with a new top draft choice. 

 

This is exactly what happened with the Giants and Daniel Jones. After a 2–8 start and years of uninspiring, horrible football, HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen named their scapegoat. Daniel Jones was released and, although not explicitly, blamed for the New York Giants’ last two years of atrocious football. And ownership bought it. They figured they’d give Daboll and Schoen another chance, given their success in 2022 (wildcard playoff victory, Daboll COTY recipient). What ownership turned a blind eye to was how, in every year of Daboll’s and Schoen’s tenure (excluding 2022), failure to win games came as a direct result of either mismanagement, poor coaching, or lack of the proper personnel needed to have success on the football field. Despite the acquisition of top talent on the defensive side of the ball (Kayvon Thibodeaux, Deonte Banks, Tyler Nubin) and the presence of veterans (Dexter Lawrence, Bobby Okereke), New York has been near the bottom of the league in defensive rating for the past three years. This lack of production despite obvious talent is a clear indication that coaching is not what it needs to be. The team was unable to retain Saquon Barkley for the 2024 season, who had an historic 2,000-yard season and ended up leading the rival Eagles to a Super Bowl. Until Malik Nabers (drafted in 2024), Daboll and Schoen were unable to get any top receivers in the building, relying on backup-tier WRs like Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson. Investments in the O-line have not come to fruition, as any improvement and good showings were short-lived and inconsistent.

 

As if these shortcomings were not enough already, bad game management and terrible calls in crunch-time situations led the team to lose tight games—games that they should have won. Time and time again, Daniel Jones was failed by his coach and GM. Jones absorbs the blame, and Daboll and Schoen get a second chance. Players are seen as expendable. It is easier for an organization to pin the blame on one player than it is to admit that the problems come from deep within the institution. Trying again with a new QB situation is much easier than uprooting the entire infrastructure that has been built over three years. This is where the New York Giants sit right now. The Giants organization will give Daboll and Schoen one more crack at it. The hope is that they can do it the right way this time. Hopefully, they elect to sit first-round selection Jaxson Dart behind either veteran Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston.

 

Like any first-round QB, Dart shows tremendous promise (the best QB prospect to ever come out of Ole Miss; 1st in win percentage, passing yards, and total offense) and can only benefit from sitting behind these guys and learning all the ins and outs from a safe distance. Giving Dart a chance to soak in knowledge in practice and on game days (from the bench) will be crucial to his development—a luxury that Daniel Jones was not afforded. It should be common practice for teams not to pick a quarterback until they have the proper supporting pieces to ensure that they can be successful. The effects of an unstable foundation (coaches, upper management, supporting players) are too disastrous. Let Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants set the next precedent for how rookie quarterback talent is dealt with. Wait as long as you can before you let the guy play. Figure out how to call games, develop the O-line and receivers, and let him learn from veterans as long as possible. Do everything to position these guys for success. I sincerely hope that the Giants can learn from their past mistakes and do the right thing.