Giants’ Daniel Jones is focused on getting healthy

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones’ season ended on Sunday after he left in the second quarter of New York’s 30-6 loss to the Raiders.

Jones, who signed a four-year, $160 million contract with the Giants in the offseason, suffered a torn right ACL when he went down without being hit.

The 26-year-old missed the previous three games because of a neck injury, and now, he will miss the rest of the season and possibly parts of next season.

On Wednesday, Jones discussed how he injured his right knee.

“That play before the end of the first quarter, I just tried to make a cut, felt my knee kind of shift a little bit, kind of buckle in a different way,’ Jones said. “Wasn’t exactly sure what it was, just knew it kind of felt different. And then, tried to jog on it, do some light cutting in between the quarters and it felt okay, so I went back out there. I got to the top of my drop, felt that same kind of kind of shift and buckle in my leg, my knee kind of gave out a little bit there. So, I knew something was up at that point. I had to go in and get checked out.”

According to Jones, he has not set a date for surgery, but he expects to have the surgery in the coming weeks.

After making the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and winning a postseason game for the first time since 2011, many expected the Giants to be playoff contenders in 2023; however, injuries have hurt this team. Their best offensive lineman, LT Andrew Thomas, just returned after missing multiple games with a hamstring injury. In addition, Saquon Barkley missed a few games with an ankle injury, and tight end Darren Waller was placed on injured reserve last week due to a hamstring injury. Plus, multiple offensive linemen have gone down with injuries, and now they lost their starting quarterback.

Jones talked about how he’s feeling emotionally after the injury.

“I mean, it’s tough, for sure,” Jones said. “You put a lot into the season; you put a lot into preparing to play, and to get it taken from you through an injury is definitely tough. That’s real, and that’s something that you deal with as a player, but it’s part of the game at this level. At any level, really, it’s something that you have to deal with, and part of it. I understand that, and it’s unfortunate, but I can’t afford to feel sorry for myself or sulk. It’s part of it, and I’ll be fine. I’ll bounce back, attack the rehab process like I have anything else, and come back stronger.”

Giants coach Brian Daboll says Tommy DeVito will be the team’s starting quarterback when the Giants head to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Sunday. At this point, the 2-7 Giants are one of the worst teams in football and will probably be in line for a high pick in the 2024 draft, which means they could grab USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye, which could mean that Jones may have played his last down in New York.

However, at this point, Jones is just focused on getting healthy.

“I’m focused on what I’m doing right now and what I can control and what’s in front of me, and that’s this rehab process, my knee, healing that up and then doing everything I can to help this team finish strong and play well,” Jones said. “That’s what I’m focused on, and I’m excited to watch these guys finish.”