Daniel Jones deserves to be the Giants' long-term starting QB

Daniel Jones has reached a crucial point in his career with the New York Giants. He will officially be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season, unless he receives a contract extension from the organization. This comes as a result of the Giants' crucial decision last offseason in regards to Jones' rookie contract. They chose not to pick up the built-in fifth-year option.

It's a new era for the Giants, as they hired new general manager Joe Schoen and new head coach Brian Daboll prior to the start of the 2022 season. The new leadership has immediately shown an impact in improving the team. They helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. They did so in their first year in their new positions.

While this is great news for the Giants' future, it leaves Daniel Jones in a questionable spot. The new leadership doesn't necessarily have loyalty or commitment to Jones, which is likely why they chose not to pick up his fifth-year option in the first place. They aren't the ones who drafted Jones, so they didn't necessarily pick him as the quarterback they would build their future around.

Daniel Jones was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The pick was made by former general manager Dave Gettleman. Pat Shurmur served as the Giants' head coach at the time, before being replaced by Joe Judge in 2020. The plan was for Daniel Jones to be their future franchise quarterback, replacing the legendary Eli Manning following his retirement.

None of those who made the decision to go with Daniel Jones are still with the Giants. It's fair to say that Daboll and Schoen wanted to see if Jones could earn himself a new contract before committing to him in their future plans. He's done enough during the 2022 season to earn their respect and that could be followed up with a long-term contract extension.

Daniel Jones took a huge step forward with the Gainats in 2022

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones put together the best season of his NFL career in 2022 by almost every measure. He seems to fit in perfectly with the new system brought in by Brian Daboll, as it plays to the strengths of his athletic ability. Jones has set new career highs this season, recording 708 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. This is 285 yards and five touchdowns more than in any other season.

Jones' passing numbers have also significantly improved during the 2022 NFL season. He has completed a career-high 67 percent of his passes for a career-most 3,205 passing yards. He also posted a career-best 92.5 passer rating, while throwing a career-low five interceptions. His 1.1 percent interception rate led the entire NFL in 2022.

Perhaps most importantly, Daniel Jones helped the Giants make an appearance in the playoffs for the first time in six years. He's also posted the first winning record of his career. It's important to remember that he did all of this in his first season with a new head coach and a brand new offensive system. While many quarterbacks struggled at first in these conditions, Jones thrived.

More time working with Daboll and his staff in the possible years to come would suggest that Jones could potentially develop his game even further. He could improve to become an even better quarterback than he has looked in this campaign.

His immediate success in their regime, paired with much more future potential, should inspire Daboll and Schoen to commit to Jones. He deserves to be their long-term quarterback.