The New York Giants lost their backup quarterback Drew Lock in their 2024 NFL preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, but are on the verge of getting their starter back against the Houston Texans on Saturday.
Giants QB1 Daniel Jones has not played in an NFL game since Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season when he tore his ACL against the Las Vegas Raiders. Jones was struggling to navigate his way through a tumultuous 2023 campaign behind a historically bad offensive line and a coaching staff that was not always on one accord. The 30 sacks that he bore on the campaign took their toll, and once he went down for good against Las Vegas, the story hovering around his name became about more than just his return to the field.
The Giants’ addition of Lock directly threatened the Duke product’s job security. Months went by in the early parts of the offseason with rumors that Lock could take Jones’ spot with the first stringers. Yet, since that dust settled and the team committed to the North Carolina native, coupled with Lock’s most recent hip injury, Jones is now in a position to try and replicate the success he saw in 2022 when he led the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a playoff berth.
Giants’ Daniel Jones anticipated to start in Week 2 of the preseason
It will all start for him in Week 2 of the preseason against a youthful Texans team that could feature an admixture of their starters with key reserves against the Giants. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post shared this quote from Giants head coach Brian Daboll regarding his intentions on Jones heading into next week:
“I do envision Daniel playing if everything — trainers, practices, all those types of things — is [according to plan],” Daboll said.
Further, Dunleavy outlined the expected distribution of snaps in the Giants’ quarterback room against Houston:
“If Lock can’t play, the Giants are not going to risk Jones’ health by extending his preseason exposure. Third-stringer Tommy DeVito would play the bulk of the game and the contingency plan calls for tight end Tyree Jackson — a former college quarterback at Buffalo who came into the NFL as a passer under Daboll with the Bills — to dust off his old skill set,” Dunleavy wrote.
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Jones will likely get just enough of a workload to shake off rust
The Giants may not be Super Bowl contenders heading into the 2024 campaign, but that does not mean that the season doesn’t carry winning expectations. But those expectations will be contingent upon Jones staying on the field.
First up on his plate will be dealing with Houston. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans deployed much of his starting units on both sides of the football in their second preseason game — a 20–12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Seeing that they are further along in their preseason schedule than New York, the Giants will likely see more of the Texans’ everyday talents on the field. Thus, it will be all hands on deck to make sure that Jones can grease his wheels and get the ball rolling on some type of rhythm.
With a talented wide receiver room including rookie sensation Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt, the 27-year-old will be asked to distribute the football with accuracy and dynamism in 2024. If he can replicate his career-high 67.5 percent completion percentage from 2023, get going on the ground, and maintain poise on third down, Jones can lead the Giants to a successful season and re-establish himself without doubt as the franchise quarterback.
