As New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones continues to face an unprecedented amount of criticism and hate, his teammates are beginning to tire of the constant onslaught.
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence admitted on Tuesday that it’s become somewhat grating, but tight end Evan Engram took is a step further.
Responding to Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who ripped the Giants and Jones in a GQ interview before attempting to walk it back, Engram said there are two types of people in the world — those who put their head down and work and those who relentlessly cry out for attention.
“It’s kind of dumb,” Engram told NJ Advance Media of Mayfield’s comments on Tuesday.
“There’s two types of people in this world. There’s people who run their mouths and cry for attention and there’s people who put their head down, get to work and get stuff done. That’s everything Daniel’s been doing.”
Engram admits that Jones does a good job shouldering the burden of hate, but recognizes that it can’t all be tuned out — especially in the media capital of the world.
“I see him as a guy that pays the criticism no mind,” Engram said. “Personally, I think he hears it and it’s kind of hard to ignore. Especially being in New York with the media being so crazy, but he’s the type of guy who’s real humble, real focused and not really worried about any of that.
“Daniel’s real humble. He’s hard working. He learns from his mistakes and he’s getting better each and every day.”
Running back Wayne Gallman also came to the defense of Jones, all but guaranteeing the rookie will find success in the NFL.
“Who cares about what they have to say?” Gallman said. “But at the same time, Daniel is going to be a great quarterback in this league. Moving forward, a lot of teams will see that. People are going to say what they want to say, factual or not. Who really cares? Daniel is great quarterback. He’s a great guy.”
Ultimately, Engram says, the Giants have to do what the Browns simply will not — focus on themselves and the 2019 regular season.
“At the end of the day, we’re worried about us,” Engram said. “We’re trying to win games on our side. It would probably be smart for them to do the same.”
