Big Blue View
Daniel Jones, often scorned and finally booted as New York Giants quarterback, is now the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. There is a lesson for the Giants in there, a lesson that has far more to do with the player Jones took the job from, Anthony Richardson, than with Jones himself.
It can’t be denied that the Giants organization, from co-owner John Mara all the way down to current quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney, ex-head coach Joe Judge and ex-offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will have egg on their collective faces if Jones excels in Indianapolis.
I think the real lesson for the Giants, though, with a first-round rookie quarterback to develop in Jaxson Dart, revolves around Richardson.
The Colts have 100% botched the Richardson situation.
First of all, Richardson never should have been the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. It was clear to anyone watching him that no matter how far he could throw the ball or how fast he could run, he was an extremely inexperienced player who wasn’t even a good college quarterback.
Richardson came to the NFL with no real idea how to play quarterback. As a quarterback, he was, and still is, a good running back who is taking snaps from center.
Despite that, the Colts named him their Week 1 starter in his rookie season. He got hurt and played just four games. He was their starter again last year, and again proved not ready for the job.
In a league where offensive play-callers can scheme up quick, short throws that should allow competent quarterbacks to hit a 60% completion rate, Richardson has completed 50.6% of his NFL passes.
He showed in Week 1 of preseason, when he got hurt because he did not recognize a blitz, that in his third season he can neither read a defense nor identify an oncoming blitz.
Yet, the Colts, because they used a premium draft pick on Richardson, stuck him out there Week 1 of his rookie season and hoped his athleticism until he actually learned to play quarterback.
Instead, it broke him. And now, they have Jones.
Which brings us to Dart and the Giants.
It is clear to me that Dart, right now, is a better NFL quarterback than Richardson. Dart is a Giant, though, not a Colt and the Giants have no intention of playing him right away.
It is also clear to me that not playing Dart right away is absolutely the proper way to handle the situation.
Yes, Dart has been impressive. Yes, he has shown the Giants everything on and off the field that a franchise could hope to see from a quarterback selected in the first round. Yes, I think there is a chance that Dart becomes a very good NFL quarterback.
Yes, C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans and Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders have shown in the past two seasons that the right rookie quarterbacks in the right situations can succeed right away.
Yes,...
