New York Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones will return to Duke for offseason training as he prepares for year two in the NFL.
For the first time since 2004, the New York Giants are entering the offseason with someone other than Eli Manning as their starting quarterback. That man is Daniel Jones, who made 12 starts for New York in 2019.
To prepare for his first full season as a starting quarterback, Jones will return to his alma mater of Duke University to work with Blue Devils head coach David Cutcliffe.
.@DukeFOOTBALL HC @DavidCutcliffe told @CFD22 & me on @SiriusXMNFL that he already has planned some offseason workouts with one of his proteges — @Giants QB Daniel Jones. Plan is to work on "fundamentals" that may include drills related to better ball-protection in the pocket
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) January 24, 2020
Cutcliffe, who also coached both Eli and Peyton Manning during their college days, is set to work with Jones on “fundamentals” this offseason. Jones played under Cutcliffe at Duke for four seasons and spent three of those as the Blue Devils’ starting quarterback.
He finished his college career ranked fifth in program history in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns. Of Duke’s six bowl victories in program history, Jones was the quarterback for two of them. He took home MVP honors in the 2017 Quick Lane Bowl and 2018 Independence Bowl.
Jones’ impressive college career convinced the Giants to select him with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
After losing the first two games of the season with Manning under center, the Giants turned to Jones in Week 3 against Tampa Bay. The rookie won NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after leading the Giants to an 18-point comeback victory and accounting for four touchdowns.
Jones finished the season with 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added 279 rushing yards and scored twice on the ground.
While Jones had several impressive moments, he struggled to hang onto the ball, fumbling a league-leading 18 times. While some of these turnovers were due to poor offensive line play, New York will need the second-year quarterback to find a way to keep a tighter grip on the ball this offseason.
The Giants believe that Jones is their franchise quarterback and will be relying on him to lead them back to prominence.
