The New York Giants opened preseason action over the weekend with a 14-3 win over the Detroit Lions, and in that victory, nothing new was learned about the state of the most important position in football. Drew Lock, who some have speculated could end up stealing the starting job for the G-Men, had a short-lived Giants debut, finishing just 4-for-10 for 17 yards and an interception after being knocked out of the game with a bone bruise and strained oblique. Tommy DeVito came in and resembled the exact same guy who became a cult hero last year. And Daniel Jones, New York's incumbent starter and $160 million man, didn't see the field at all.
At this point, it's been 280 days since Daniel Jones last stepped on an NFL field. After missing a chunk of time in the beginning of the 2023 season due to a neck injury, Jones returned to action in Week 9, but lasted only a quarter in a loss to the Raiders before going down with a torn ACL. Now, over nine months later, Jones is nearing his return to action, with a date against the Houston Texans on Saturday August 17th pinpointed as his return.
QB Daniel Jones will likely play in preseason action on Saturday against the Texans, coach Brian Daboll told reporters,” per a tweet from ESPN's Jordan Raanan. “Jones was fully cleared prior to training camp from a torn ACL. This will be his first game action since undergoing surgery 8+ months ago.”
Should New York Giants fans be optimistic about Daniel Jones' return to the field?
Well, that depends on if you think Daniel Jones is more likely to resemble the guy he was in his injury-plagued 2023 season, or the guy who performed well enough in 2022 to force the Giants to give him that aforementioned $160 million deal. Jones has his warts, but in 2022, his first season playing under new Giants head coach Brian Daboll, he resembled a guy who was turning a corner. Jones notched career highs in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, yards per completion, passer rating, rushing attempts, rushing yards, and most importantly, wins. Nine of 'em, which were enough to secure New York's first postseason appearance since 2016.
The G-Men upset the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round on the back of Daniel Jones, who played what is by far the best game of his young career in hostile territory. Jones completed 24 of 35 attempts for 308 yards and two touchdowns. He also chipped in with 78 yards on the ground, proving once again that he's the most deceptively athletic quarterback in the NFL.
Which version of Danny Dimes shows up throughout the season will determine whether Giants fans can stomach having him around for another few years. But if things go sideways again, Jones' deal will continue to haunt the Giants and the entire New York tri-state area.
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