Daniel Jones has a better long-term future than all but 7 QBs and no one can deny it
By Zak Musso
The quarterbacks on Tier 1 and Tier 2 all have significantly higher ceilings than Daniel Jones, and you would take all of them over Jones long term, except for Rodgers of course, because he will turn 40 years old, and may just retire.
That leaves only seven quarterbacks who I would take over Danny Dimes long term. I would undoubtedly take Jones over every quarterback who is on tier 3. Let’s compare them:
Daniel Jones vs. Matthew Stafford
Stafford is very limited athletically. PFF gave Jones the sixth-best running grade among NFL quarterbacks. The one thing that has kept Stafford from being one of the NFL’s truly elite quarterbacks throughout his career are injuries. This season alone Stafford suffered two separate concussions in November and was shut down for the season in early December with a spinal cord contusion. Stafford is only getting older and has a mammoth contract that keeps him under the books through at least 2025.
Daniel Jones vs. Kirk Cousins
Nobody defines the word average more than Kirk Cousins. Every year the quarterback’s team seemingly hovers around the .500 mark, with an occasional magical regular season, before fizzling out late in the season. Cousins has started NFL games in each of the last 11 seasons but has just one playoff win and three playoff appearances. Jones already has one playoff win in his four seasons. Jones outplayed Cousins twice in their two head-to-head matchups this campaign, including in the Wild Card Round.
Daniel Jones vs. Kyler Murray
Murray, who just got a massive 5-year, $230 million contract last offseason, tore his ACL in early December and will likely be out for the first quarter of next season in addition to the end of this season. Murray’s game is predicated on athleticism, so a torn ACL is more devastating for him than most NFL quarterbacks. Jones is 6-5, 220 pounds, the modern build for an NFL quarterback. With the brutal nature of football, I would feel much more comfortable with a bigger quarterback, rather than an injury-prone smaller quarterback. In the second half of NFL seasons, Jones has a 12-14-1 record while Murray’s is a horrendous 9-20, despite playing with a vastly better roster over that time frame.
Daniel Jones vs. Dak Prescott
Entering this season, the two quarterbacks didn’t belong in the same breath as each other. Now, Jones has stunningly surpassed Prescott. Prescott was tied for the most interceptions in football with 15, despite playing just 12 games. This past Sunday, Prescott threw two interceptions in the Cowboys Divisional Round loss to the 49ers. Prescott had a horrendous game, and if he gave the Cowboys even slightly below-average quarterback play, they would have easily beaten the 49ers. Prescott is continually given one of the NFL’s best rosters and has failed to win more than a single playoff game in any season of his career. Prescott also offers significantly less athleticism than Jones.
Daniel Jones vs. Tom Brady\Jared Goff
Brady is 45. If you watched the Wild Card game against Dallas, it is obvious that Brady does not have much left in the tank, and will do anything to avoid getting hit. PFF ranked Goff as the 20th-best quarterback in 2022, and he is one of the least athletic quarterbacks in the game. We’d take Jones over him any day of the week.