Will Daniel Jones start at QB for the Giants in the preseason game against the Lions?
The Giants’ quarterback has been busy with his comeback following a severe injury which leaves doubts as to whether he will see minutes in preseason.
When looking at Daniel Jones’ situation in New York ahead of the coming NFL season, the old adage of “It’s more trouble than it’s worth” comes to mind in the sense that Jones is still not 100% following a serious knee injury and the Giants are busy trying to figure out how they can contend. Ultimately, it both scenarios are not a good match, which leads us to believe that it’s better if Jones stays on the sidelines for the moment.
To play or not to play? The Daniel Jones question
On Thursday night, the New York Giants will kick off their preseason campaign with a game against the Detroit Lions, however, the question of who will be under center remains unanswered. What we do know is that quarterback Daniel Jones has made it clear that he would like to be on the field. On the other hand, when we consider the fact that Jones is recovering from a torn ACL, a fact that appears to have been in consideration when Giants head coach Brian Daboll appeared to be non-committal when explaining that no final decision had been made.
As for Jones, the 27-year-old as mentioned before is raring to go, though it’s clear he understands that the coach’s opinion i.e., the team, comes first. “Yeah, I’d like to play,” Jones said to the media. “At the end of the day, that’s the coach’s decision and I’ll do whatever Dabes’ thinks.” On that note, we come to Daboll, or “Dabes” as Jones calls him. This coming season marks the coach’s third in the ‘Big Apple’ and it would be fair to say that despite his intriguing changes to training regimes and selection, there are still doubts about whether he can turn the Giants into contenders. Indeed, those doubts are even more intense following the departure of star running back Saquon Barkley.
Nonetheless, Jones remains a key figure on the roster, to the extent that any hope that the Giants have for success will fall largely on his shoulders. for context, Jones played one single possession during last year’s preseason run. While that may raise an eyebrow or two, it’s not uncommon for starting quarterbacks to sit out the preseason entirely as they prepare or the grueling demands of the campaign. Jones himself has spoken to that fact, stating that regardless of minutes in the preseason, he will be ready for the 2024-25 season. “I think we try to make practice as game-like as possible and get real game-speed reps in practice to make sure you’re ready to go,” he said. “Regardless of what Dabes decides this coming game, I’ll be ready to go when given the chance.”