EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — There have been concerns about the status of New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones from the moment he tore the ACL in his right knee in early November against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The surgery wasn’t performed until just before Thanksgiving, cutting his time to rehabilitate the injury and get back on the field to eight months. That’s short, and Giants fans were well aware Saquon Barkley needed almost two years to start looking like one of the NFL’s top running backs again after his ACL injury in September 2020.
Jones seemingly has beaten the odds. The 2019 first-round draft pick took part in 11-on-11 drills and showed good movement rolling out Wednesday as the Giants opened training camp at their facility in the Meadowlands sports complex in New Jersey.
“I’m confident I’ll be the same. I think every knee injury is different,” Jones said after practice. “Every position is different. Every case is a little bit different. So, you take input, hear about other people’s experiences, and try to use that to help you guide your own rehab. But in terms of my process and how it’s been for me, it’s been smooth, and I feel like I’ll be back to where I was, if not better.”
Jones had a horrible 2023 season during which he was limited to six games by a neck injury (3 games missed) and the knee injury. He threw for 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions.
In leading the Giants to a playoff berth in 2022, Jones had a career year, throwing for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdown and five interceptions. He also ran for 708 yards — a team record for a quarterback — and seven TDs.
There are a lot of people who still doubt Jones’ ability as a starting quarterback. Many fans wanted New York to selected a quarterback in the opening round of the draft when the Giants had the sixth-overall pick. A lot of publications had not rated Jones highly in their annual evaluations of quarterbacks.
Jones admits it does serve to motivate him, but it’s not the reason he works so hard.
“I’ve always been motivated and driven to work harder than or as hard as I possibly can, and that’s always been my mindset and my approach,” he said. “So, I’m going to continue to do that. I’m going to continue to work hard and play for my teammates, play for myself, play for everyone. I’m excited to do that.”
General manager Joe Schoen, who signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract after his breakout season in 2022, said his quarterback is good at shutting out the noise.
“He’s been busting his tail and doing everything he can do to get back on the football field,” Schoen said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a leader. And, I’m excited to see how things go this year if he can stay healthy.”
The Giants signed veteran Drew Lock as a free agent to take over the backup role, while popular New Jersey product Tommy DeVito is back for a second season.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas was happy to see Jones back at work, but not surprised.
“He was moving great,” the Giants first-round pick in 2020 said. “I saw him in OTAs as well during 7-on-7’s stuff, just working out, and obviously everyone knows his work ethic is crazy. He’s done a good job of getting back, and I’m excited to see him out there.”
Jones will have some help on offense this season. The Giants drafted explosive LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers in the first round, bolstered the offensive line by signing free agents Jermaine Eluemunor, Aaron Stinnie and Jon Runyan Jr. They also signed running back Devin Singletary after losing Barkley to Philadelphia in free agency.
“I’m confident in this group, confident in where we can be,” Jones said. “I think we’ve added some good pieces, and we’ll be a good football team.”
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