New York Giants QB Daniel Jones Reveals Why It's Important for Him to Be Out There

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones wants to be someone his teammates can count on to be there week in and week out.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Dec 1, 2021 10:05 PM EST

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is often reminded of how Eli Manning, his predecessor, never missed a game due to injury throughout his 16-year career, no matter how he was feeling.

That's a sentiment that Jones strongly believes in now that he's the franchise's quarterback.

"Yeah, I certainly do," he said. "I think I feel that responsibility to be out there. You never want to miss games. As a quarterback, you never want to miss any time."

Unlike Manning, Jones has yet to make it through an entire season without games lost due to injury. Currently n his third season, Jones is trying all that he can to make this year his first full-year affair.

He's had some close calls. In Week 5, he suffered a concussion which threatened his availability, yet he beat the odds and was back in the lineup the following weekend.

However, this week, he is dealing with a neck strain that he reportedly suffered on the second play from scrimmage in last week's win over the Eagles. The NFL Network initially reported that Jones's status was week-to-week with a very good chance he'd miss Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.

Concern for Jones's availability also increased when the Giants signed quarterback Jake Fromm off the Buffalo Bills practice squad Tuesday, making this the first time under head coach Joe Judge that the Giants have carried three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

But just as Judge will never negatively criticize a player in public, Jones is averse to admitting if he isn't 100 percent physically, which was the case Wednesday when he spoke to reporters.

"I think I’m going through the week preparing to play and getting myself ready to play, listening to the trainers and doctors," he said when asked if there was a chance he could play Sunday. "My job is to be ready to play, so I’ll go through the week like I always do."

Jones kept insisting he was going through the preparation as if he was going to play. He even ducked a question about whether he should have slid feet first to avoid taking a big hit.

"I think which exact play or when it happened, I’m not sure," he said. "I woke up and it was sore. After the game it was sore, so that’s something I’ve focused on all year."

Head coach Joe Judge has not ruled Jones or any player out just yet, and won't until Friday.

Judge also said they would go about the week getting both Jones and backup Mike Glennon prepared for the game, leaving the impression that Jones could be listed as questionable on the final injury report and be a game-time decision.

"I think it’s just sticking to their rehab process and the recovery process to try to show that I’m ready to play," Jones said of his rehab.

"My focus is to get back and to be ready to play."