Phil Simms remains a believer in Giants’ QB Daniel Jones

It took Simms six seasons to establish himself with the Giants, and he says Jones still “has that chance”

Phil Simms knows exactly how it feels to be New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, albeit without the constant social media pressure and the 24/7 news cycle.

Jones is entering Year 6 with the Giants. He is coming off a major knee injury, has a history of neck injuries and has yet to convince much of the fan base — and the NFL at large — that he was worth the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Giants stunningly made Simms the No. 7 overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft. It took until 1984, Simms’ sixth season, before he firmly established himself. From 1981-83, Simms played only 12 games due to shoulder, knee and thumb injuries.

From 1984 through 1993, he went 81-44 as the Giants’ starting quarterback won a Super Bowl MVP and helped put the Giants into position for a second Super Bowl before an injury allowed Jeff Hostetler to step in an become a Super-Bowl winning quarterback.

Simms still believes in Jones.

“He definitely has starting NFL talent,” Simms said. “That’s the one thing I’ll argue for as long as you want. I wish he’d yell at somebody sometimes. Is that okay? Not that that makes you a quarterback, but it just tells me something about you, too. I didn’t do it on the field, but poor (center) Bart Oates. He’d sit next to me on the bench, ‘Bart!’ I would just look back and go, ‘Why didn’t he punch me?’”

Is that enough?

“That’s a good start,” Simms said. “If you don’t have that, you’re not going to be, ‘Oh, I’ve got all this other stuff.’ I think success gives you confidence and then you could turn into another guy. I think he has that chance, but like I said, it’s going to be really rough. Why? The media, the fans, the national people who think they know everything – I shouldn’t say it that way, who think they know. I think I’ve watched him enough. I’ve seen enough to see the top end. I don’t know what NFL evaluator said this once, I believe in it, too, he goes, ‘Watch their 20 best plays; that’s who they are.’ Now, it’s your job as a coach to make sure they have more to do that. I kind of believe that about quarterbacks.”

Simms, part of the CBS broadcast crew for the 2024 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, said he would deliver this message to Jones:

“Listen, no matter who, unless you’re Patrick Mahomes and a few people, you go through these periods, and you’ve just got to fight,” Simms said. “Would I have any things to tell Daniel Jones? Hey, man, buckle up. That’s it. It’s going to be rough. Just show how tough you are and do it and just keep working. That’s all you can do.”