In the latest negative saga for the New York Giants, there’s no clear date when Daniel Jones will be able to play again. Jones was dealt a strained neck in the victory against the Eagles, and after one game of Mike Glennon at quarterback, we know that the injury is maybe worse than initially thought. According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Jones had his neck further examined on Monday and there is now a concern about structural damage.
Jones had his neck checked out in Los Angeles on Monday, traveling with Ronnie Barnes, the Giants’ senior vice president of medical services, to see neck specialist Dr. Robert Watkins. The concern is that if Jones plays, he could do further damage to the neck, which suffered some structural damage in the win over the Eagles in Week 12.
While head coach Joe Judge hasn’t indicated that Jones will be out for the season, this does leave the Giants in a bad position for the foreseeable future. Whether you like Daniel Jones or not, it’s simply facts that the team doesn’t have another capable starter right now. And Mike Glennon, who took over last week, picked up a concussion against Miami and isn’t a lock to play against the Chargers on Sunday.
Even if Jones isn’t ruled out for the season, it’s hard to project him coming back soon. At this point in the year, the team is already out of the running for the division and much of the focus has already shifted to the draft. It seems unlikely that the staff will risk Jones by placing him back on the field too soon given the current circumstances and the injury.
A longer-term view of the situation
This season, the narrative was that the Giants would make a decision on Daniel Jones in one way or the other. But it’s been hard to make a verdict like that based on what we’ve seen so far. Much of that has to do with injuries, as the Giants have a very different O-line than expected and have frequently had injuries take skill position players off the field.
If Jones himself ends the season on the note of an injury, he will have finished the year with 10 touchdowns compared to 7 interceptions. His performance this season has been inconsistent and isn’t enough as it stands to solidify his position as the franchise QB going forward. With that being said, the injury situation complicates things more if it does result in Jones missing a large amount or all of the remaining season.
Just like the injuries to the offensive line and skill positions, it’s another outcome that throws a wrench into the plan to make a decision this year. But as the Giants likely head into the offseason looking for a new GM, it’s uncertain how much more time Jones will get to prove himself even if the results are inconclusive from this season.
All in all, it’s not a good spot for the team to be in if this neck injury keeps Jones out for more than a few weeks.