The New York Giants are shutting down starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the remainder of the 2021 season, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN. Daniel Jones has missed the last three games with a neck injury he suffered in the Giants’ Week 12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants are optimistic that this injury will not affect Jones’s long-term future.
At 4-10, the New York Giants’ season is all but over. They are out of the playoff race and ready to look ahead to the offseason. There is no point in Daniel Jones returning to play this season with nothing left to compete toward. The Giants officially placed Daniel Jones on the reserve/injured list, ending his third season in the NFL prematurely.
Statement from the Giants’ medical staff:
“Over the course of the past few weeks, Daniel has been examined by Dr. Frank Cammisa of Hospital for Special Surgery and Dr. Robert Watkins of the Marina Spine Center at Marina Del Rey Hospital. Our medical team has continued to consult with Dr. Cammisa and Dr. Watkins regarding Daniel’s condition and symptoms, and at this point, Daniel has not been cleared for contact. We felt the prudent decision was to place Daniel on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. With continued rest and treatment, we expect a full recovery.” – Senior Vice President, Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer Ronnie Barnes via Giants.com
What this means for the Giants going forward
The New York Giants have made this decision to preserve the future of Daniel Jones’s career. The Giants hold two first-round picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft but are unlikely to spend a first-round pick on a quarterback. Daniel Jones is probably going to be the Giants’ starting quarterback next season.
Giving Daniel Jones a head start on the offseason should provide him with ample time to recover and prepare for next season. For the remainder of the year, the Giants will continue to start backup quarterback Mike Glennon (unless he loses his job to Jake Fromm). Jake Fromm saw playing time at the end of the Giants’ loss to the Cowboys on Sunday.
There is a chance Jake Fromm takes over going forward. Joe Judge and the coaching staff will have discussions this week:
We got to a point in the game where I wanted to see what Jake could do, point blank. We weren’t doing enough moving the ball otherwise, so I wanted to make sure I had the chance to see Jake and that will obviously open up a conversation about what we’re going to do this week. We’ll talk about it as a staff and we’ll make the best decision for the team. – Head Coach Joe Judge
What this means for Daniel Jones
Ultimately, the 2021 season did not go as planned for Daniel Jones. This was meant to be his breakout third year. Instead, the Giants’ offense was a putrid mess (with or without Jones). Daniel Jones has missed starts with injuries in each of his first three seasons.
Daniel Jones’s final stats for the 2021 season:
- 232/361 (64.3%), 2,428 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions
- 62 carries, 298 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 7 fumbles
It seems like Daniel Jones will at least get one more year to prove himself as the franchise quarterback. But one must imagine that DJ is on thin ice after three unsuccessful years as the New York Giants’ starter.