The Danny Dimes era came to an abrupt end for the New York Giants with the former No. 6 overall pick just days after he was benched by the team.
Even though Daniel Jones is close to waiver clearance, it would be a shock if any NFL team were willing to claim him and pick up the remainder of the four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed with the Giants in 2023. And when he inevitably accepts waivers, he is free to sign with any team.
The Miami Dolphins would be wise to take the chance and then add Jones.
Earlier this season, the Dolphins learned a painful lesson: their offense simply isn't functional without Tua Tagovailoa at the helm. Miami managed just three points when Skylar Thompson started in Week 3, and it scored just one touchdown in each of the three games Tyler Huntley started.
Since Tagovailoa returned from injured reserve, the offense has gotten back on track. He has completed 77.7 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and one interception over the last four weeks and the Dolphins have averaged 27.8 points per game.
However, there is little doubt that if he gets injured again, Miami's season will be over. Both Thompson and Huntley – who will soon be fighting for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart – made it clear that they cannot repeat Tagovailoa's success.
Could Jones?
It's hard to say, but there is some evidence that he could fit into Mike McDaniel's offense. Last season, Jones – nowhere near Tagovailoa’s lightning-quick 2.25 seconds – but still top 10 in the NFL. Jones completed an NFL-best 80.4 percent of his passes in under 2.5 seconds. Tagovailoa scored 73.4 percent.
Miami's offense relies entirely on its quarterback's ability to pass the ball quickly and accurately. While it's unlikely Jones could do it, there's pretty clear evidence that no one on the Dolphins' roster right now can do it nearly as well as Tagovailoa.
At the very least, Jones offers hope that the Dolphins' offense could survive another stretch without Tagovailoa long enough to remain in the postseason hunt.
But perhaps even more enticing is the fact that signing Jones would likely mean a free draft pick for the Dolphins in the future.
If the former top-10 draft pick and $160 million quarterback leaves as a free agent in March and signs elsewhere, that would likely be enough to qualify his final team as a compensatory draft pick in 2026. Even mid-level backup quarterback money is usually enough to qualify, such as when the New York Jets received a 2024 seventh-round pick as a result of the two-year, $8 million contract Mike White signed with the Dolphins in 2023.
Is Jones the long-term answer to the Dolphins' backup quarterback woes? Probably not. But he could be a band-aid for a team that clearly doesn't have a solution, and perhaps provide some capital to boot.
