Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesThere is reportedly plenty of worry when it comes to the health of New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, but he still has the support of the team owner.
Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reported Thursday that Jones' "health is a real concern … Two neck injuries in three years are bad enough. But now he's recovering from a torn ACL that will almost certainly sideline him until training camp and might keep him out at the start of the season."
However, Vacchiano also noted team owner John Mara said, "I still have every confidence in the world in Daniel. Let's put a better team around him. Hopefully, he'll get healthy, and I think the real Daniel Jones is the one that played in 2022, particularly down the stretch in the playoffs."
To say the situation for the Giants is difficult would be an understatement.
It was just last offseason that they agreed to a four-year, $160 million deal with Jones and placed the franchise tag on star running back Saquon Barkley. Now, Barkley is with the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, and there are plenty of questions about New York's quarterback outlook.
Jones has been inconsistent throughout his career since the NFC East team selected him with a first-round pick in 2019. He threw for 3,027 yards, a career-best 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a rookie just to throw for 21 touchdowns to 17 interceptions while going 9-16 as a starter the next two seasons.
NFL @NFLDaniel. Jones.<br><br>That is all. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYGvsTB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYGvsTB</a> <a href="https://t.co/7WCnwSMaCT">pic.twitter.com/7WCnwSMaCT</a>
Just when his future seemed up in the air, he led the Giants to the playoffs in 2022 while going 9-6-1 as a starter.
He completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding 708 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground that season. The performance earned him the new contract, but he was just 1-5 as a starter with two touchdown passes and six interceptions before his injury in 2023.
Perhaps the Giants can use the No. 6 overall pick of the draft to either select a quarterback or trade up to land the signal-caller of their choice.
Even with Mara's public support of Jones, Vacchiano reported the owner "will not stand in the way if GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll 'fall in love with a quarterback' in this year's draft."
Mara even said Jones and a rookie could "compete and let the better man win."
It would certainly create quite a delicate situation given Jones' contract status, but the Giants will eventually have to figure out their long-term quarterback plan if they are going to realistically compete with the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
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