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In each of the last three seasons, a quarterback who was highly drafted but initially fell short of his expectations began to thrive in a new location with the right offense and coaching staff.
In 2022, the Seattle Seahawks decided that 2013 New York Jets second-round pick Geno Smith would replace Russell Wilson as their franchise quarterback after Smith had been a bust with the Jets, New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers. Smith has been a senior starter in Emerald City ever since.
Baker Mayfield was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the first overall pick in 2018, fell out of favor with head coach Kevin Stefanski and was passed over in favor of Deshaun Watson, who joined the team in what could be the worst treatment in NFL history. Mayfield had a nice cup of coffee with the Los Angeles Ramsand then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. Under the direction of offensive coordinators Dave Canales (who was instrumental in the professional rehabilitation of Smith and is doing the same for 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young in Carolina) and now Liam Coen, Mayfield has come to define the Bucs franchise as much as any current player.
Related: Did Austin Seibert just suffer the most agonizing minutes in NFL history?
Sam Darnold, another Jets bust early in his career, was selected by Gang Green No. 3 overall in 2018, two picks after Mayfield. Things never worked out for Darnold there, and he was catapulted out of the building via a trade to the Carolina Panthers after three seasons. After two decent years with the Panthers and a 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup, Darnold found the perfect fit in Minnesota, where Vikings head coach and offensive shooter Kevin O’Connell has made the most of the Darnold’s attributes while masking his deficiencies.
Could Jones be part of a similar feel-good story in 2025?
The Giants recently released the sixth overall pick of 2019 after a (mostly) mediocre playing career. Jones has never looked like The Guy. But to be fair, he’s also had to deal with three head coaches, four offensive coordinators and multiple offensive systems.
By multiple reportsJones (who has cleared waivers, leaving any team that signs him unburdened by the four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2023) would prefer to wait for the right situation, preferably with a playoff-level team, which It makes all the sense in the world. There’s no reason to go with the first franchise to offer him a roster spot, especially if Jones would be sent to an equally difficult situation.
Smith, Mayfield and Darnold were able to rethink their careers after landing on teams that built the right offenses around them. How can Jones’ second NFL team pull off a similar turnaround, most likely with the 27-year-old serving as a backup behind a true star quarterback?
Make RPO a core concept
Jones isn’t the best field reader in the NFL and there are times when he waits too long to throw. But he has mobility and can win as a runner. He has 2,179 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in his career. So the run and pass option should be a big part of their next offense. This concept gives the quarterback the option to throw, hand off to a running back, or run the ball himself depending on how the defense attacks. It also tends to limit the quarterback’s need to read the entire field, since most RPO passes are of the quick play type.
This season, Jones has been relatively efficient as a passer and runner on RPO plays. He completed eight of 13 passes for 52 yards, while as an RPO running back, he gained 42 yards on six carries. Teams like the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, or Philadelphia Eagles, who run higher rates of RPO plays, may be good candidates in that regard (again, we’re not saying Jones will replace Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, or even Bo Nix. but he could be a solid backup, and these tactics would work if he came in as a replacement).
Turn Jones into a game manager
The term “game manager” is generally considered pejorative, as it indicates a quarterback whose physical gifts are not spectacular and therefore must be protected by the coach and the talent around him. But every quarterback is a game manager to some degree, and even the all-time greats are coveted as much for their overall consistency as their flashes of brilliance.
What does this mean for Jones? In his case, his next coaching staff will want to establish a consistent rhythm for him in the passing game, and that means avoiding the deep ball in favor of short and intermediate passes. This not only addresses Jones’ inconsistencies, but also eliminates the aforementioned field reading issues when plays take longer to develop and Jones begins to lose depth.
Jones’ pass splits this season tell the story:
Passes below 10 air yards: 172 completions in 247 attempts for 1,241 yards, four touchdowns, four interceptions and a passer rating of 79.7.
Passes of 10 to 19 air yards: 38 completions in 65 attempts for 613 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 87.5.
Passes from more than 20 air yards: Six completions in 29 attempts for 216 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 66.7.
Intermediate passes are what Jones’ next team should lead with, while also giving him easy reads in red zone situations, which will complicate the short pass numbers for any quarterback not familiar with converting into those compressed situations. The Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and Cincinnati Bengals all have excellent intermediate passing games by design. You can build from there.
Help Jones become a “Trusted Messenger”
Former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman ranked Jones at No. 6 after Jones had a big week of practice at the 2019 Senior Bowl. and was named the game’s most valuable player.. One of the reasons Gettleman is the Giants player former GM is that he placed more importance on an All-Star week during the three seasons at Duke in which Jones put up tapes that were much more of a second- or third-round type.
That put Jones firmly in the realm of overdrawn. And while the money is much better in that neighborhood, it also tends to create an unfortunate dichotomy between what is expected and what can actually be achieved. Not everyone is Tom Brady, who was selected with the 199th overall pick and wanted everyone to pay a heavy price for that oversight.
In Jones’ last press conference as a Giants player, read a statement in which he apologized for his overall performance and thanked the team. Jones was rightly praised for handling the situation professionally, but that’s a tough way to end your time with a franchise. And Jones’ self-confidence, something that is crucial for a quarterback, may take a hit as a result. It’s not just self-confidence that is crucial for a quarterback: his teammates must also believe in his abilities.
For example, Young is turning things around with the Panthers this season after a horrible rookie campaign in 2023, in part because his teammates now believe in him. After Young had his best game to date last Sunday in a 30-27 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, veteran receiver Adam Thielen said of Young that he had become “the messenger of our confidence.” and what we can be.” We love that guy and appreciate his thinking this year.”
Wherever Jones goes, he will need the help of his new coaches and players to erase the football sins of the past. Ultimately, the goal will be to help Jones become a Trusted Messenger. That facet is mandatory for any quarterback hoping to find professional redemption.