Jon Runyan Jr. didn’t exactly calm anyone down after the Giants’ strong start.
Less than a month after landing a contract extension, the veteran lineman sparked a fresh round of frustration with comments that left New York fans wondering why he felt the need to go there in the first place.
Runyan made clear he still sees plenty wrong with the Giants, even at 3-1-1.
“A couple plays here and there, I feel like we could also be 1-4,” Runyan told reporters. “I still feel like we have a long way to go on this team. Luckily, we are 3-1-1 at the moment.”
He said that while also praising John Harbaugh and the Giants’ new coaching staff, but the blunt assessment still landed hard.
To be fair, he’s not wrong. The Giants have needed late-game saves to avoid losses to the winless Titans and the lowly Cardinals, and those goal-line stands have shaped the record as much as anything else.
That’s what makes Runyan’s honesty so striking. Non-quarterbacks, especially established veterans, usually reach for the safe answer when a team is winning. Runyan didn’t.
The problem is that he hasn’t backed it up on the field. He’s been one of the weaker spots on an uneven offensive line, and his two-year, $22 million extension has not looked great so far.
The numbers line up with the film, too. Runyan’s 50.8 PFF grade ranks No. 63 of 75 qualified guards, and his 44.1 run-block grade is the fourth-worst in the league.
Of course, this is where the whole thing gets awkward. If Isaiah Likely or Jevon Holland had said the same thing, it probably would not have carried the same sting. Abdul Carter might even get a pass, despite being only in his second season.
It’s a little like a starting pitcher with a 5.50 ERA criticizing a 29-20 team sitting first in its division. The reaction would be immediate: you might be right, but you are the last person who should be saying it.
And for the Runyan family, that kind of public misfire is starting to feel familiar. Jon Runyan Jr.’s father, who serves as the NFL’s president of football operations, has also been criticized for what many viewed as personal attacks toward Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
For now, the takeaway is simple: if a Runyan is going to speak publicly, it probably helps to have something nicer to say.
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The football side of the matchup did not get much kinder from New York's perspective, either. Williams was back at it in a more recent meeting, piling up 85 rushing yards and catching a touchdown as the Rams beat the Giants again, a reminder that his best work against them has come both on the field and in the spotlight. For Giants fans, the only thing more uncomfortable than the video may be the way Williams keeps showing up in these games. [Read more 🡒]