Daniel Jones is getting set to play as the starting QB of the New York Giants from Week 1 until he relinquishes that title after officially taking over for the retired Eli Manning last season.
After missing a few weeks due to an ankle injury in 2019, the Giants QB decided to put in some work during the offseason and he has reportedly bulked up in the muscle department.
“He’s been serious about staying busy in the weight room. I think he’s around 230,” trainer David Morris of QB Country told The Athletic of Jones’ nine-pound weight gain. “He’s gotten bigger and therefore you see it — he’s stronger.”
Bulking up from 221 pounds is great and all, but it won’t solve his fumbling issues.
Jones led the NFL with 18 fumbles (the fifth-highest mark in NFL history) in 816 offensive snaps, or one fumble every 45.3 snaps. That’s not an ideal ratio for long-term success as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
“One of Daniel’s greatest attributes is his competitiveness – the ability to fight, hang in there, go that extra yard and do whatever it takes. I think that’s a great gift and strength of his,” Morris said. “Same token, knowing when to stop competing is something that we talk about. Knowing when to move on — throw it away, tuck it. An incompletion is better than a sack. An incompletion is better than a turnover.”
Five of Jones’ fumbles came when he failed to recognize pressure and three came when he took on defenders down the field.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Jones’ former Duke head coach, David Cutcliffe, feels it can be corrected.
“He was too fearless as a runner here. I said, ‘In that league, it’s simple. Those guys hit you — they’re six or seven years older, they’re stronger than anything that’s ever hit you before. Quit running the ball like a back. Get on the ground. Run like a quarterback. Unless it’s to win the Super Bowl, quit taking on tacklers,’” Cutcliffe said. “He’s a great athlete, he can get out of trouble, make yards and then you get the hell knocked out of you by a guy that has been continuing to train his body for seven or eight years. I tell him, ‘Don’t take those hits. The ball is coming out. I don’t care what you do.’”
