Monday Media Transcript: QB Daniel Jones

QB Daniel Jones -- December 30, 2019

Q: How did the firing of your head coach hit you?
A: It’s tough. Obviously, that’s I guess part of the business and part of being at this level. But it’s tough on me, tough on all of us.

Q: What are you feeling right now?
A: Just disappointed. Coach (Pat Shurmur) obviously believed in me, Coach believed in all of us, and it’s disappointing. I’m grateful to him for the opportunity. I think he’s an excellent football coach and I really appreciate what he’s done for us.

Q: When something like this happens, do the players feel a part of it, as though they’re responsible as well?
A: Absolutely, no question. It’s a tough deal, but everyone is responsible. The players are very, very largely responsible for how this season has gone. I certainly feel responsible, and I think that’s the tough part. That’s the way we should feel and that’s the way it is. Everyone on this team feels that way. We have to use that to motivate us going into the offseason and make sure that we’re not in this position next year.

Q: He addressed you guys. Can you give us a little bit of insight into what that was like? He addressed you guys as a team?
A: He did, yeah. He let us know of the situation and told us that he appreciated us, our effort. Coach’s class and just who he is as a man was always apparent. It was apparent in that meeting also. I think the world of him. I have the ultimate amount of respect for him as a coach and as a person.

Q: Is it important to you that the next head coach be a quarterback guy, have a quarterback background?
A: That’s not necessarily up to me and well above my pay grade. My job is to work as hard as I can to improve, to learn the system and work with the next coach.

Q: In that vein, obviously, you’re not making the decision, but what kind of general characteristics would you be hoping for that the new head coach would have?
A: I don’t know. Just an energy and excitement for this team. I think the next head coach will do that. I trust the people making that decision. Like I said, my job is to work as hard as I can to learn the system and to continue to improve as a player.

Q: Going into the future, you’re the franchise quarterback. How do you accept the responsibility of being the quarterback of the New York Giants?
A: Just work hard every day to improve. Where we are right now as a team, where I am right now as a player, is not where we need to be. I feel that, I think this team feels that. If we want to get where we want to go, we’re going to have to use this, to learn from this. Otherwise, the season would have been pointless. We need to use it to motivate us, use it to improve going into the offseason.

Q: There are going to be several head coaching positions open in the NFL. What do you think makes the Giants’ opening so attractive?
A: I think, one, it’s a historic franchise with a lot of tradition. This team has a chance to, like I said, continue to improve. We have guys who can build a special team, be a part of a special team, and that’s our goal. We’re excited about this team. We know we have an opportunity to be special and we’re determined to do that. I think just the opportunity to be a part of this organization, this historic organization, is something anyone would be excited about.

Q: Eli’s (Manning) tenure here is basically over. Can you just encapsulate what his influence has been like for your growth this year?
A: Eli’s done a ton for me. Since the day I got drafted, he welcomed me and did everything he could for me to help me grow, help me develop. I can’t say enough about what I think about him as a person. I’m just grateful to have spent the time I’ve gotten to with him and learned as much as I have.

Q: What does your offseason look like? Will you be mostly up here, mostly in the Charlotte area, mostly in Alabama training? Where will you be?
A: I think I’ll be mostly up here. Back and forth some. I plan on being at Duke a little bit, and like you said, in Mobile some. I’ll spend most of my time up here though.