Simms Complete

Daniel Jones Interview

NY Giants quarterback Daniel Jones joins Matt and Phil Simms on the latest episode of Simms Complete. They dive into Jones' rehab and off-season program, discussing his focus areas and progress. Jones shares his thoughts on Saquon Barkley's departure, the impact of new rookies and free agency additions, and the pressure in year 6. He talks about leaders in the locker room, his efforts to add muscle, and the Giants' 100-year season celebration. He shares some hilarious card game antics with Brian Daboll and weighs in on Daboll's 40-yard dash time. Phil also offers his advice on handling heated moments with Coach Dabo

Duration:: 29m
Broadcast on:: 16 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

How dangerous is it to unwrap a burger at 40 miles per hour? More so than you think. In a little over two seconds, your car can travel slightly more than 117 feet, which is the same length as 20 bicycles. Anything that distracts you while driving is dangerous. That's why driving while texting can be deadly, too. So put it down. It can wait. Don't drive distracted. Shift into safe. A message from the Colorado Department of Transportation. Well, hey, here we are. Sims Complete. We're graced today with Daniel Jones, starting quarterback of the New York Giants, going into the New York Giants 100th season. And we're honored and privileged that you were able to join us today, man. So Daniel, how are you doing, man? Thank you so much for joining us, brother. I'm doing well. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here, so I appreciate y'all having me. Yeah, listen, we were waiting on you. You were a little late. That's OK, because you could do that when you're the quarterback. We're working out now. We're working on your schedule. So are you at the Giants Stadium today? Is that where you work it out, the facility? I am, yeah, at our training facility. And I've been here pretty much the whole off season and the summer. So do my running, lifting, working with our rehab trainers and strength coaches and everything, so it's been good. I just want to know this. When you were doing the running out of the field, did you take your shirt off? No, I keep the shirt off. I keep the shirt off. OK, that's what you used to do back in the day. You're a shirt off that big guy. Oh, absolutely. Every chance a guy. I don't know why. I shouldn't have been so proud of it. Wasn't that good? Working on the bus. Yeah. Yeah, I regret being in the sun now. It's Matt Nodes. I was going to say, it's a blessing to you, Daniel, that you're keeping your shirt on, because the guy visits the skin doctor more than anybody in the country right now. So it's good for you in the long run, man. But how are you feeling, though? How's the body feeling? You've had a long off season, right? With just enduring the injury during the year and going through that process. Kind of take us back to the start of that rehab and really just how it's been going this entire all season. Yeah. It's been going well. It's been going well. And like I said, lucky to have these doctors and trainers, Frank Coaches here with the Giants. But yeah, obviously, when it first happens in your season's over, that's stuff. You put a lot into it, and you're ready to go, and we hadn't played well. And I hadn't played well, so it was tough to have to leave it like that. But you've got to kind of refocus and get on with the rehab process, hit the ground running. And you can't afford to feel sorry for yourself or let that kind of affect your work day to day. So like I said, lucky to be here. We hit the ground running. And it's just a slow, gradual process. And you know kind of where the week goal is, where the benchmark is, that you're trying to hit every week and progress throughout it. So I've had a pretty smooth process, no real setbacks or issues with it, which I've been fortunate with that. So it's been good. And at this point, I'm doing pretty much everything, running, cutting, everything I need to do. Daniel, I got to say this the first time I ever met you down there in the facility, I was like, holy Christ, I had no idea you were that big. And I was talking to somebody the other day in the NFL and he met you or watched you throw and sized you up and everything. And he said, oh my god, I'm shocked. And when I tell people how big you are, they're like, really? Because it's hard to see it sometimes when you're on the field with a bunch of giants. So tell me right now, just looking at the video or watching you throwing and working out one time, it looks like you did put some weight on. Is that true? Yeah, a few pounds. I feel good. I'm right over like 2.30. So that's about-- I've been around 2.30, kind of the last three or four years. And lean and strong. I feel like I'm in a good spot. So I think you do a lot of training and build yourself up. And during the season, it's kind of inevitable. You can't train as hard. So you're going to lose some weight. It's kind of been always been the thing. So I try to gain some muscle and go into the season as strong as possible. And this all season, too, you've been working with QB country now, what it seems like for maybe two or three years now and coach David Morris. Kind of just take us through how you got connected with him and how impactful he's been for you these last few years as being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Yes, I've been working with David since my sophomore year in high school. Oh, wow. I was, yeah, I, you know, as a high school, I decided I want to play football or try to play football. I wasn't getting recruited a whole lot. So I went down to see him work with him and kind of get a sense if he thought I could play. And then we kind of, you know, we've been working together since. So that was probably 2012 or something like that. And, yeah, he's been great for me. And obviously we've stayed really close and worked together every year. So, yeah, David's been great. You know, this offseason, a lot going on with you. Just, you know, as you try to work back, get the D right, I'm sure Ronnie Barnes has been around you a lot, right? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Ronnie, Ronnie was there when I came in as a rookie. So that tells you what his face probably is. But, you know, besides just a rehab, what else have you been working on just to make you or to help you have a great season and play your best? Well, on the field, I think you're always trying to get the ball out of your hands quicker. So it's, you know, things you can speed up from a footwork standpoint, being more efficient with where you put your feet and get them down on the ground. And then, you know, with your stroke, with your motion, making sure that's quick and efficient and getting the ball out on time. So I think those are things that I've, you know, tried to work on every year. And, yeah, I think movement-wise, you don't want to, you don't want to waste steps. You don't want to waste, you know, time or block it or, you know, kind of keeping your feet close to the ground and being able to throw from different spots, but trying to get, you know, as close to on balance and ready as quickly as possible. So then focus on that. And then there's, you know, obviously things within our system, within our offense that you're studying and looking at and where, you know, where we were good, where we weren't as good and where you can improve. And now, you know, the addition here, this all season in the draft, we get Malik neighbors and I apologize. I'm saying we, you know, I played for the Jets. I don't even know what I'm talking about, man. But still, I'm a Giants fan at heart. You guys draft Malik neighbors. And what's it like for him, you know, having this young explosive rookie, you know, injected now into that starting lineup for that receiving core? - Yeah, he's been fun to watch. He had a good spring and came in, played well. And you can see, you know, the physical tools that he has as a receiver, his explosiveness, but also his strength, how well he catches the ball. I mean, I think all those things he's done really well. So, you know, it'd be an important camp and a lot of work to do is still for us to get where we need to be going into the season. But yeah, he's been impressive and it's been fun working with him. - It's got to make you feel good, right? The first, the Giants, they drafted a good receiver last year in Jalen Hyatt. Now they got Malik neighbors. Yeah, they opened rebuilding the offensive line. Daniel, that's, I mean, man, you know, sitting back here, the quarterback, you're going. Yeah, come on, keep 'em coming. And so let's go more. - Yeah, those things know something about that, doesn't it? Yeah. - Oh, yeah, 1986, we had six picks, I think, in the first two rounds. Maybe the first two and a half. We drafted six defensive players. (laughing) - Here we go. Here we go. - Can we get somebody to help us? You know, whatever. Worked out pretty well though, 'cause they all were good. - Yeah. - And we won the Super Bowl, so. What does it make, how does it make you feel just all the additions? I quit laughing at me. Additions that you've had on the offensive side. - Yeah, I'm excited, I think. Yeah, we talked about Malik and what he can do. And then, you know, bringing in, you know, a few offensive linemen and, you know, they've looked good and, you know, John Runyon and Jermaine Alumignor have played well and will be important pieces for us too. So it's been fun and, you know, these teams change a lot year to year, as you all know, and it's about bringing guys in and then getting everyone on the same page, building, you know, that chemistry and the, you know, the feel and camaraderie kind of on offense as a team. And, you know, that happens in the spring and then throughout training camps though, right. But yeah, I'm excited about the guys we brought in. - Yeah, you have to be, man. A lot of explosive playmakers on the outside and, you know, take us through the just, obviously losing Saequan Barkley. You know, how did you react to the news of finding out that not only was he moving on, you know, from the New York Giants, but he was also becoming a damn Philadelphia Eagle for all things. - Yeah. I mean, as y'all know, you know, you get to know guys, you build relationships and obviously a lot of, you know, good times on the field and also, you know, time spent off the field in the locker room. And so, you know, that's definitely, you know, tough to lose a guy like that. But yeah, he's a good player, great dude. But, you know, brought in some, brought in some good guys. And I think they have a single Terry and the rest of that room will be, will be big, right. - You know, everybody said, and I guess it's true, just by reading everything and kind of getting a feel for the team. The Saequan was kind of a leader on the football team. - I think recently, a guy that was really productive for you guys last year, Bobby O'Kareke. He said, "You turned into that guy. You're more vocal in the locker room. Is that true? And is it just because of age and time with the Giants that it makes you feel more comfortable to be that leader?" - Yeah, I mean, I think, yeah, being here and, you know, I think we, you know, we've had, you know, Saequan was a good leader and we've had, you know, several leaders and a lot of leaders, we still have a lot of good leaders. But yeah, just try to do what I can to get everybody, you know, like we're talking about going in the right direction and kind of together as a group and building those relationships, building the chemistry and, and yeah, trying to kind of do whatever I can. But yeah, feel like, I feel like I just got here, but I guess you look around and you've been here longer than most, most everybody. - That's good. - Yeah, that's right. Before we got on, we couldn't believe that, you know, we're both like, man, he's entering year six, you know, I mean, just like, is it crazy how fast time has gone so far being the quarterback for the New York Giants? - It really is. And like I said, I feel like I, I feel like I just got here. You know, Malik is, I don't know, I think he's 20, you're 21 years old. - So now you're looking at him like he's so young. - Yeah. - Yeah, okay. - And then you think about, you know, some of these, you know, Graham Graham or some of these guys that play 12, 14 years and they see me as a, as a kid too. So, but it's, it's been good. It's been, it's been fun. - Hey, you know, got to ask you about this and talk because I get a kick out of it. Your head coach, Brian Deball, he likes to yell at people. He'll even yell at his quarterback. And I can relate to that a little bit, right? Just a little, but, you know, only advice I'd have for you there is to listen and then turn to him and yell back at him. So see what he has, you like that. (laughing) - Well, I'm not going well, but that's what you used to do. - Absolutely. I'd yell, not always, but when I felt like I was in the right and he was over, whatever. Yeah, I would yell back, you know. And he wouldn't let that out. But that's the way Belpar sells, so he was. If it doesn't go well, it still takes us your idea. - Yeah, that's right. - But what, have you ever been around a coach, though, that has, you know, kind of voices his opinion out loud to you, maybe on the field or whatever in a certain way that you might not have ever seen before? Or have you had somebody like that? - Yeah, you know, I've been coach hard. I feel like, you know, I do, coach Douglas coaches for the next part and I remember, you know, getting there. You know, when you get recruited in college and everybody's all nice and, you know, trying to get there. You get there on the first day of practice and he's, you know, laying into you and, but coach cut was always, you know, really good about as soon as practice was over and you know he always has your back and, you know, means you'd be the best player you could. But yeah, I've been coach hard, you know, my whole career and certainly don't mind it. - As you see, the reading glasses I have on for this computer, I got to wear them. I wore them one time in a medium with Bill Parcell, so he was coaching the Dallas Cowboys and he said, "Hey, Sims." You know, and I just was sitting there going, I knew he was going to talk about it. So you need glasses, huh? I said, "Just what I'm doing certain things." And he goes, "Well, you should have worn them while you were playing." (laughing) And I'm not going to tell you the comment I had from there but it was a little out of bounds, but sometimes it was over, I could say what I wanted. So go ahead, I'm sorry, Matt, you go ahead. - No, I'm sorry, I love the Parcell stories and he's brutal. - Oh, brutal. - Just endless, yeah. - Before you go, Matt, though, Daniel, did you see the coach Dave Ball talking about the 40 time and what he can run in and how he could do it? - I saw, what do you say, he said he can run a 7-0? I don't know about that. I think I'm on the side of everyone else in the conversation. - Well, wait, now he's got a lot trimmer now than he was when he said that back at the Combine. - Yeah, that's true, but I don't know. - I don't think so. - I think he can do it. I think he can beat it. I said, you know, high 6-9s, high 6-9s. - I think he can set it up. - Oh, yeah, I would love to, you know what we need to do, Matt? You can't do this, Daniel. We need to have like a charity will donate to, you know, coach Dave Ball running the 40, like to do with Rich Eisen on the combat every year. So I like that. - I would like that. I would like that. He has slimmed up, but there is no quad or hamstring definition at all on those legs. So I don't really think there's gonna be any get out there. There's no acceleration, there's no high speed either. You know, not like our boy DJ here, but, you know, funny enough though, you know, Daniel, like I'm sure, hey, you spend more time with Dave Ball than any of us, right? But we were fortunate enough. Big Phil invited coach Dave's over for dinner actually last week. Did you know that your coach was so just like such a great card trick magician guy? Does he perform these card tricks for you guys? - Yeah, he's done, I've seen some card tricks and he's quite proud of himself for him. - Yeah, he's got some card tricks and, you know, he's funny, he wants to win everything, you know? And he wants to, you know, if he has to change the rules or make it, you know, a little bit better for him, he won't hesitate to do that either if you're playing, go off or playing ping pong or whatever it is. He wants to win, but... - Oh, I like that. - He needs those card tricks. He wants to make you feel dumb. - So you're saying change in the rules. In other words, he's trying to cheat. Is that what you're saying? - Some people might call it that, but he just says I want it. (laughing) - It's been, yeah, he's fine. I mean, that's who he is. He's a competitor and... (laughing) - Yeah. But, you know, the other thing, people always say this to me and I, don't get an argument about it. And they just say, you know, I had a, I think, a perspective. I played in New York with the Giants for 15 years. Then I got into TV and I went to all these other cities and I would read all the articles about the team and I'd go, oh my gosh! The writers in the fan bases were just brutal on the teams and I'm why I'm asking this, 'cause they'd always ask about the New York media. And I said, look, overall, I always found it to be very fair. How do you feel about the media here in New York? How you've been treated? - Yeah, I think, you know, there's more of it, I guess, is kind of the... - Yeah, yeah. - And, you know, there's, yeah, if you're winning, it's great. If you're not, it's a tougher, but it's that way everywhere. And I've enjoyed being up here in New York and the media's certainly part of it. You know, playing quarterback in New York. There's gonna be, you know, there's gonna be media attention and like I said, it's just kind of, kind of just more of it than you see with other teams. - How do you deal with it after games? Let's just say it's a game that doesn't go the way you want. Do you still read and listen? Do you listen to the radio about the Giants? Do you read papers? How do you do it? - I try not to read anything. I mean, I don't read or look at anything and during the season, I'm staying off social media and all that kind of stuff, but I mean, you hear it through your family or through friends, the way, you know, certain reporters are asking questions and stuff like that. You gotta get a sense for what's going on. - Where it is, yeah. - But yeah, I certainly don't seek it out. - You know, throughout my career, you know, of course, I never reached, you know, quite the same heights as you were my father has, but I always had my father to kind of go back to and speak to about certain things that I was going through, you know, and fortunate for him. I even lived with my damn father when I was playing for the New York Jets, so that was pretty funny. I'd come home and he'd be like, hey, how was work today? And I'm like, oh, it was pretty good. We put him this new play and all that, but, you know, who is that person for you and your friends or family circle that you will, you know, touch base with every week just to kind of get that, you know, that, you know, groundedness to prepare for that next week. - Yeah, I mean, it talks to my dad, my mom would get bit. I think my parents more than anything. - Yeah. - My dad was not an NFL Super Bowl champion quarterback, but he, but yeah, he's still, you know, I still talk to him and helps to stay in touch with the family, I think, too. - Yeah, for sure. - Yeah, to give you some support or maybe to bring you down sometimes. - Yeah. But to go back to Matt, Matt still owes me rent money, Daniel. So I know that I'm never gonna get that. - Rent was a little higher, too, just because I was in New York. Yes, I didn't appreciate that very much, but I thought it was, yeah, that's just not true. - Two, two longs, I lost my train of thought, there, you know. - How dangerous is it to unwrap a burger at 40 miles per hour? More so than you think, in a little over two seconds, your car can travel slightly more than 117 feet. Which is the same length as 20 bicycles. Anything that distracts you while driving is dangerous. That's why driving while texting can be deadly, too. So put it down, it can wait. Don't drive distracted, shifting to safe. A message from the Colorado Department of Transportation. - Here, you've been living up here and you're going on your sixth year. Just give us a little, I just wanna know from the outside, besides just football, what have you enjoyed a lot about this area in New Jersey, New York? Going to sports games, I saw you at the next game, I think, a couple of times, restaurants and everything. How about the restaurants around here, too? - I like the restaurants, I think, in the off season, I can get in the city and hang out on the weekends. I've got three siblings who are now all in New York, funny enough, so I get to split them. And then I grew up in Charlotte and North Carolina on the East Coast, so a lot of people from home come up here for work or a few buddies live here. So I see them and it's just fun to be here. There's always something going on. There's a great energy and buzz to the city and New Jersey. Good golf, a lot of good golf. - Yeah, like a lot. - We'll get to play a little bit in the off season, but yeah, it's definitely a lot different than what I'm used to or what I grew up around, but I really enjoy being up here and it's a fun place to live. - Yeah, thanks for throwing Jersey in there. I know you didn't really want to, but we appreciate it nevertheless, you know. - Thank you, Jersey and us. - Yeah, I hear you, man. I know, I know what you meant, you know? It was nice to throw us a bone. You play in Jersey too, so we get it, you know? But how funny is it too that, you know, here you are in this huge city. You're going out during the off season just to kind of decompress, you know, enjoy times with friends and family like you're saying. And then you run into guys like Chris Sims, who all they do is talk football and then you gotta take pictures with his son, Philip, you know, while you guys are out. - Nice. No, I've met Philip a few times going through here and now it's been fun. Yeah, it's been fun to see, you know, you never know who you're going to see in New York and I think we saw him outside a restaurant. Yeah, I feel like that may be last year, but yeah, it's been, you never know who you're going to see here and that's part of, you see, you know, old buddies or run into celebrities, Sims Brothers, celebrities. - Yeah, that's right, yeah. You're going low on a totem pole there, big guy. Yeah, listen, you know, the, I hear this all the time. I heard it when I was playing, people talk about it in the media and everything like that. And they always use this word pressure. I have a, my feeling about it. What do you feel pressure about? This is a big year and a team and you and all that. Or is that just something that we talk about that really has nothing to do with what you're trying to accomplish? - Yeah, I mean, I think, I don't, you know, I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about that. I think, you know, it's about your work and being prepared and playing well. And, you know, I expect a lot of myself. I expect a lot of the team and, you know, what's going on outside of that is not necessarily something that is going to drive me the same way that just, you know, how well I want to play for myself and for my teammates and that's kind of what I'm, what I'm working toward or what I'm motivated by, you know, mostly so, you know, you understand, you know, like we were talking about with the media, there's going to be media attention and they're going to, you know, there's going to be conversations and talks and that is what it is. But I'm trying to focus as much on what's going on here with me, with my teammates and being ready to go. - Right. - All right, now real tough one here for you. All right, I know I'm going to put you on the spot. What do you think about these, you know, 100 year anniversary jerseys that you got to wear this season? - Oh, wow. I like them, I like them. - Don't give me, yeah. Don't give me the political answer, man. Don't give me the program as their. - No, I actually do, I like the jersey. I think the helmets are classic and they do a good job, you know, kind of putting together, you know, so, you know, it's a good tribute to Giants history and such a rich, rich, you know, history at this franchise. And, yeah, I like it, I think it would be cool. - Now, would you take that jersey though? Or would you take like the 80s, early 90s jerseys of that big fill in those boys where, you know, when you have those throwback jerseys? - I like those, I like those uniforms. - They look great. - Yeah, we've, we've done a couple things. I think the color rush jerseys we've worn or the, you know, kind of like the, yeah, those jerseys have been, they'll do so. I like what we've been doing. - I think you just say it this way. The uniform you guys are going to wear opening day. They're so ugly, they look good, you know? Okay, I don't know what else to put it. I think it, for one game, I think it's pretty awesome. And I think the players, come on, you know how players are. They're going to spend most of their time in the locker room just checking the mirror and how they look. - Yeah, you know, you know. - They got their socks right and they got sleeves and they're, you know, everything, their towel and everything is very pulled out, planned out beforehand. - Yeah, it's cool. Hey, one more football question. And I heard Kurt Warner say this and I believe this too. He says, "There's a quarterback or a lot of players on the field. If you can survive the first four or five games because it's so fast to start the season, then it's okay after that. You can take the punishment after that. But I even felt when I played early in the season, it was so different as the year went on, everything slowed down, the players slowed down. And I thought it became easier as a quarterback later the year got it. - Yeah, I mean, I think everybody's fresh and ready to go. And you also haven't played and, you know, for me, it'll be, you know, about nine months. So it's getting back, you know, you do it and then the swing of things. But, you know, we know we got to start fast. We got to have a good, you know, we're looking right now at training camp, but we got to start the season fast and get ready to go. And I'm sure we'll be ready. - All right, man. Now just how much more confident do you feel too, you know, with Dave's and the offense and obviously coach Kafka too, like just, you know, how better and more comfortable do you feel with that conversation with them going to going through the X's and O's? - Yeah, I feel good, I feel good about it. I think this will be, you know, my third year in this system and, you know, every year it's changed a little bit based off of what we're doing well and what guys are doing well for us. So, you know, we spend a lot of time in the spring working on that and that'll be a big part of training camp too is, you know, finding out what exactly this offense is going to look like based off, you know, what we do well and what we don't do as well and then going from there. But it's been, it's been good. I've enjoyed working with Dave's and Kath and all those guys and, yeah, it'll be a fun year. - All right. Well, man, I know it's hard to believe I have nothing else to say, you know. - I got a little more for you, Daniel. - No, I won't tell you. - Only he does that. - I got a little more for you. - But, you know, this is what happens. See, as I get older, my kids boss me around and, you know, Matt's the host of the team. - No, I don't want to hear that. I don't want to hear it. - That's true, Daniel. - All right, Daniel, go ahead. - What's your question? - This is tougher than even the day of jerseys. All right. We got, we got the top 100 giants of all time. I want to hear from you, man. Who's the best giants quarterback of all time? - Best giants quarterback of all time. - Yeah, don't answer it. - That's a trap. - No, you better answer it, man. I can't win. I can't win. - Well, the fact that he's not answering it tells you. Okay, so let it go. - I mean, there's been so many, so many greats. - Hey, Daniel, we've been here in Jersey for a long time. Now, we know some people, okay? All right, answer the question, all right? - No, no, no, no. - Hey, it's like dealing with the media, Matt. Your media got to be careful what you say, so. - Yeah, that's all right. It's all right. I just want to see how to react. - The thing is, we, YA Tittle, I'm sure you know that name. I was at training camp one year and he came by. He was over 50 years old and we were kind of tossing the ball to each other and talking. Man, I was like, "Damn, YA Tittle, this is pretty cool." - Yeah. - Charlie Connolly, another great giant quarterback. So it's pretty cool. I wish they were still with us. So I could talk to them when we all get together, but it's a hundred year thing for the giant. You're part of it and all that. It's pretty cool, so. - Yeah, it's for sure. So much, like we're saying, so much good history and tradition in this franchise and you know, playing for this ownership and the mayor and the Tisch family and what they plan for, who they are, who they've been in the NFL for so long, I think, means a ton. But it's always cool seeing the players come back and legends who have done that so much success for this team and have met so much of this franchise. So it'll be cool to be part of this a hundredth year. - All right, man, but look, I wish you well. Stay healthy and it's gonna be a good year. So good luck to you. - Thank you so much. Appreciate y'all having me. - Thanks for having me. - We appreciate it. Big fans of you, Daniel. Kick ass this year, man. We're rooting for you always. The Sims household supports you for sure. And go Big Blue, baby. Let's go! - Appreciate it. - Big fans. - All right, Daniel. Thank you. - See you, man. - Oop. - How dangerous is it to unwrap a burger at 40 miles per hour? More so than you think. In a little over two seconds, your car can travel slightly more than 117 feet, which is the same length as 20 bicycles. Anything that distracts you while driving is dangerous. That's why driving while texting can be deadly too. So put it down, it can wait. Don't drive distracted. shifting to safe, a message from the Colorado Department of Transportation.