Phil Simms wasn’t the Savior early in his career, and he sure heard it from Giants fans, but he eventually joked that he wore them out and won them over.
So the question for Simms was this: What would you tell outraged Giants fans about the shocking pick of Daniel Jones?
“Let’s just wait and see and give him a chance,” Simms told The Post.
“All everybody knows is what they read and what people say on the radio or TV.”
Asked if he believes Jones — whom the Giants snagged with the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft — has a chance to be a franchise quarterback for the New York Giants post-Eli Manning, Simms said: “Yes I do. Let’s just give it a chance, OK? Let’s see where it goes.
“I think the Giants felt physically, good enough, all that, no concerns, but all of the stuff that you want to see in your quarterback, they saw.”
Simms had that historic Super Bowl XXI night in Pasadena, Calif., and knows exactly how Jones can win over Giants fans.
“Like all fans, you win ’em over by playing well and winning,” Simms said. “I never thought that Duke was going to win the ACC and compete for a national title.
“I didn’t study it like I usually do. But I think there’s a lot of resemblance between him and Eli. I think they like his demeanor. I didn’t see ‘wow’ plays. But I saw a guy that knew how to play quarterback.
“And he’s got great size, and his mobility is really good. And I think that the Giants were looking for a quarterback with the type of mobility he has. I always thought that Pat Shurmur would get a quarterback that can move around and do all the stuff that he wants him to do.”
No. 1 overall picks Jeff George and JaMarcus Russell had cannons for arms, and were busts. Simms rated Jones his fourth quarterback in his limited study of this year’s crop strictly because he did not see Jones make as many special throws as the others.
“Was it the pep that Drew Lock and Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray could put on it? No, it wasn’t,” Simms said. “That’s just one little thing. You, me, all of us, have seen many, many, many really incredibly talented quarterbacks never do nothing in the NFL.
“A lot of reasons, but mainly, they just didn’t play the game the right way. They just didn’t have that feel of how to be a quarterback and manage the team, the game and all that stuff. I think that’s a skill that you’re kind of born with, and you learn under great people.”
Simms added the meetings with club decision-makers often play a major role.
“Once you get past the physical talent, you got to go to the intangibles — is he going to be a leader, do his teammates like him? — those kind of things,” Simms said. “I don’t get to peek into their life and see who they are and all the other stuff that’s so important.
“I thought the three I told you had some special physical qualities, but why did Dwayne Haskins go 15 [Redskins]? Why did Drew Lock not get picked [in the first round]? So, there’s something I don’t know. Or something I’ve told you.”
Still, it wasn’t easy for Dave Brown to follow Simms, and it won’t be easy for Jones to follow Manning.
“I don’t think he’s going to go out there, run on the field and go, ‘Oh my God, I’m playing instead of Eli Manning!’ ” Simms said.
Simms said he believes Giants fans will give Jones a chance.
“Everybody wants Patrick Mahomes now,” Simms said, “and that’s great. Just keep looking, because we won’t see Patrick Mahomes for a long time.
“Let’s watch him and then judge for ourselves.”