Ben Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.
It's the end of a largely disappointing era. The New York Giants released quarterback Daniel Jones on Friday, granting his request to be cut following his benching this past week. The sixth overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft, Jones was never really what the Giants hoped he'd be when they made him the successor to Eli Manning.
Over six seasons, he threw 70 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions, and his 53 QBR ranks 28th in the NFL since he entered the league. Save for the 2022 season (9-7-1) that got him paid, Jones never posted a winning record in New York and now leaves the Giants as a 28-year-old reclamation project.
While the ceiling on Jones is fairly limited, I actually like the idea of him as a reclamation project. I think there's a chance Jones has an acceptable finish to his career in the league; in fact, I think there's a good shot he gets another season or two as a starter. But which teams could make sense, and will the next opportunity come this season or next year? Let's look at why Jones still has an NFL future and pick out five potential team fits for his next stop.