As the Giants watch another season slip away, their former quarterback, Daniel Jones, has not only led his new team — the Indianapolis Colts — to the best record in the NFL, but also worked his way into the MVP conversation through eight games.
His old wide receiver, Darius Slayton, who consistently defended Jones, even when he was going through rough moments with the Giants, said Thursday that Jones’ resurgence was not a shock to him.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Slayton said following practice in advance of Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium against the 49ers. “I’m well-documented in my opinion of him. Some people like to wait for things to happen and say, ‘I said it the whole time.’ I actually said it the whole time. He put in the work, and he’s talented and it’s showing.
“I know when you do anything in life, whether it’s school, a job [or] a sport, people that work a certain way, prepare a certain way [and] behave a certain way, they’re bound to succeed. They might not succeed at one moment or you might not see it at a particular time, but a certain level of effort and approach is eventually gonna work. And that’s him.”
Jones’ emergence comes after he was released by the Giants last November in the midst of another poor season and benched in favor of Tommy DeVito.
After signing with the Minnesota Vikings and spending the rest of the season on their practice squad, Jones signed a one-year deal to compete with Anthony Richardson with the Colts.
Jones not only won the job but has turned into everything the Giants hoped he’d be when they selected him sixth overall in 2019, the same year they picked Slayton in the fifth round.
The two had a strong bond, and Slayton’s play has slipped since Jones’ departure, while Jones has flourished.
“I do think sometimes it’s the situation you’re in,’’ Slayton said of Jones’ transformation. “Maybe it wasn’t meant for him to be that here. Maybe it wasn’t meant for him to be that as a Giant. Maybe it was meant for him to be a Colt legend. I’m a firm believer that life is a lot about timing and being where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there.
And it’s coincided with Slayton having his least productive season after signing a three-year, $36 million deal in March. He’s followed up with just 14 receptions for 192 yards, having also missed a pair of games with a hamstring injury.
“It’s all about adjusting and getting used to new guys,’’ Slayton said of working with four different quarterbacks last year, as well as Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart this season.
But he’s enjoying watching Jones from afar, with Jones cutting down on his turnovers, upping his efficiency and already guiding the Colts to more wins this season than in all but one of his six with the Giants.
“I’m happy for him, proud of him [and] glad he got his chance to show who he is and what kind of caliber player he is and what he’s capable of.
“When you know somebody like I know him, you know the stuff they’ve been through, the things people said to try to tear him down and all that type of stuff, you’re happy to see that person come out on the other side… With the way he fights, I knew he’d be successful eventually.”
