The first week of the 2026 season put New York football in a rare place. The Giants opened by beating the Dallas Cowboys.
The Jets followed by knocking off Robert Saleh, Brian Daboll, and the Tennessee Titans. And tucked inside both wins is an odd little twist: Daniel Jones may be helping both teams without meaning to.
It’s the first time since 2009 that both New York teams have started 1-0, and the early picture for each franchise looks brighter than it has in a while. The connection to Jones is different for each club, but it runs through the same idea - his struggles in Indianapolis could end up paying off for both New York sides.
For the Giants, that starts with the quarterback decision they already made. Jones’ poor play would only make the move to turn to Jaxson Dart look smarter by the week.
New York also appears to be getting value from the broader reset that followed Jones’ departure, with the article pointing to the addition of John Harbaugh and Dart as a potential source of stability. Jones’ shortcomings also helped put the Giants in position to draft Abdul Carter, who now looks like he’s starting to settle in with a year under his belt.
Jones’ path back to relevance has gone sideways again. After reviving his career with a strong start to 2025 in Indianapolis, he tore his Achilles in the middle of that season. His 2026 return has been rough so far, capped by a line of 166 yards and one interception in a 41-23 loss to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
That matters in New York because 2024 was the breaking point for the Giants, even after they had given Jones a big long-term extension during the Daboll era. The financial hit didn’t stop them from moving on, and the way the roster has shifted since then is being held up as proof that the break was the right one.
The Jets have their own reason to keep an eye on Jones’ season. They traded Sauce Gardner to the Colts after Indianapolis decided Jones could lead a deep playoff run, and the deal brought back two first-round picks plus Adonai Mitchell. The Jets have already used one of those firsts on Kenyon Sadiq, and they also hold Indy’s 2027 first-round pick.
If Jones keeps sputtering, that pick could climb high enough to give the Jets a real shot at a young quarterback who can help them keep up with Dart and the Giants. Jones recently signed an $88 million contract extension, but if his play stays at this level, the ripple effects may keep rolling back to New York.
What began as a failed Giants tenure has turned into something stranger: Daniel Jones, by way of Indianapolis, might be steering both New York franchises toward better days.
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Giants Suddenly Have A Tyrone Tracy Decision That Could Get Interesting
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The ripple effect has reached beyond East Rutherford, with the Lions mentioned as a possible trade destination if New York decides Tracy is available. Detroit suddenly has reason to look hard at the position after losing Isiah Pacheco to injury, and the fit is easy to see with Jahmyr Gibbs carrying the load and no proven backup in place. What happens next may come down to how the Giants balance patience against opportunity. [Read more 🡒]