New York Great Carl Banks Gives His Thoughts On Daniel Jones As Starter And Reveals His Latest Team Honor
Giants great Carl Banks during the Starter x MLB Bronx Bubble Jacket Unveiling
Former New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks [+]
Former New York Giants great Carl Banks has another honor to add to his resume — he’s one of the 100 greatest players in team history.
The ex-linebacker — who has more recently made headlines as an entrepreneur by partnering with Starter to re-ignite the iconic brand known for its apparel — reveals that he’s been named one of the team’s 100 best players as they prepare to celebrate their 100th anniversary this season.
“I just got my letter from the Giants informing me that I am one of the 100 greatest players in the history of the franchise,” reveals Banks in a one-on-one interview. “I don’t know where I rank there, but just to be there, just to be one of the 100 greatest players in the history of the franchise is pretty cool to me.”
The 61-year-old was one of the top linebackers throughout the 80’s and early 90’s as he helped lead the Bill Parcells-coached Giants to two Super Bowls. Alongside fellow linebacker Lawrence Taylor, Banks helped lead New York to six top 10 defensive rankings during his nine years (1984-1992) with the franchise. That’s in addition to being named a First-Team All-Pro selection and Pro Bowler in 1987 after leading the team with 101 tackles.
While it’s clear Banks’ legacy with the Giants is secure, what isn’t as clear is the team’s future in general. The Giants are coming off of a rough 6-11 season just a year after winning a playoff game. Their season was marked by notable injuries, including to quarterback Daniel Jones just months after he signed a massive four-year, $160 million contract extension.
Jones — who was limited to just six games after suffering a torn right ACL — is participating in 7-on-7 drills during OTAs and is expected to be ready by the time the season starts in September. However, he faces a lot of scrutiny as he makes his return to his large salary and his lack of success as Giants starter, going just 22-36-1 during his five-year career as starter.
Prior to his injury, Jones went 1-5 while throwing two touchdowns against six interceptions for a 70.5 passer rating. Stretched over the course of an entire season, that passer rating would have been the lowest in the NFL.
It also doesn’t help matters that the Giants brought in former Denver Broncos starting quarterback and ex-Seattle Seahawks backup Drew Lock as potential competition for Jones entering training camp.
Despite Jones’ lack of consistency as a starter, Banks pinpoints the team’s struggles from last season due to their porous offensive line. The Giants were by far the most-sacked team in the NFL last season, allowing 85 sacks — 20 more than the next worst team. It’s also the second-most sacks allowed in NFL history.
“Some people think he was never good and that’s fine,” says Banks. “In the NFL, if you give up a historical amount of sacks, number one, your quarterback doesn’t finish the season. Number two, he doesn’t make great decisions under duress because he’s getting hit so much. That’s a reality that people want to discount. I’m a guy who hit quarterbacks. I know how it impacts their decision making. And when you give up a record amount of sacks, decision making gets tough.”
Banks doubles down on defending Jones, making the argument that people need to look at the entire picture for why he struggled so much last season.
“He (Jones) didn’t play well last year prior to getting injured,” says Banks. “But he would tell you that too. There’s a cause and effect to that. People always accuse me of being a Daniel Jones sympathizer, but I understand how the game is played and fans see it in a different lens. You have to look at the entire process of why people fail or succeed.”
