"Ya'll are pathetic": Stephen A Smith slams 'awful' Giants after cutting Daniel Jones
Stephen A. Smith did not mince his words after the New York Giants released Daniel Jones on Friday following the QB being benched on Monday.
Speaking on ESPN's "First Take," Smith pulled no punches and called the New York Giants "pathetic." Pointing out the sheer mismanagement and mediocrity, he said:
“Y'all are awful as an organization."
Furthermore, Smith feels the issues with Jones go much deeper.
“They let go of Saquon Barkley to make sure they took care of you. They gave you the bag instead of him, which is another blemish. But here's the biggest thing — and I'm gonna end it by saying this — the New York Giants, respectfully, shut the hell up."
By bringing up Barkley, he pointed out the Giants' decision to make Daniel Jones their top priority over their star RB last offseason.
Additionally, Smith also accused the New York Giants' leadership of failing to rebuild effectively.
“You won a Super Bowl in 2007," Smith further said. "You won a Super Bowl in 2011. Outside of that, since 2011 (that's 13 years), the Giants have made the playoffs twice."
The outspoken sportscaster also called out the Giants' reaction to criticism. This was in light of reports that the team executives were not happy with media scrutiny.
“They won one playoff game, and you've got the nerve to sit up there and call the officers and complain to executives about somebody that went on national television to do their job. Why don't you do your damn job as an organization? Y'all are sorry. Y'all are pathetic,” Smith fired back.
Daniel Jones has been playing in the New York Giants ever since he was drafted in 2019, fresh out of Duke University.
Is the New York Giants' decision on Daniel Jones a financial strategy or a panic move?
QB Daniel Jones' benching and subsequent release has brought the Giants into the spotlight and now, the NFL world is busy figuring out the root cause of the decision.
As he left the team, Jones has a QBR that ranks near the bottom among active quarterbacks for the last six years. What's worse is that Jones' standout season (2022), which landed him a $160 million contract, is now a mere outlier.
Thus, from the looks of it, the Giants’ move to release Jones could likely be, from a financial point of view, astute because it makes sure the team avoids injury guarantees tied to his 2025 contract. But that won't mitigate the $35.5 million he will still earn this NFL season while exploring new opportunities.
While Daniel Jones looks for a fresh start, the pressure is on the Giants to rebuild effectively.