New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones enters a pivotal season, battling for his future while coming off a torn ACL.
When Big Blue veterans report for training camp in a week -- rookies report today -- all eyes will be on Jones, who struggled last season after inking a big-money contract and then had his season completely wiped out by an ACL tear on Nov. 5.
The Giants took it slow with Jones' recovery most of the offseason, keeping him out of full team work. Through it all, the club insisted he'd be ready and full-go once training camp work arrived.
During an interview on "Simms Complete" on the Bleav Podcast Network with father-son co-hosts Phil and Matt Simms, Jones said his recovery has been "pretty smooth" with "no real setbacks" and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Jones is expected to be good to go for camp and won't be placed on the physically unable to perform list.
"At this point, I'm doing pretty much everything -- running, cutting, everything I need to do," Jones said, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
Reports of Jones battling Drew Lock for the staring gig have quieted over the spring and summer weeks, but the incumbent must avoid a setback or recurring struggles to keep the whispers quiet.
Jones struggled last season even before the ACL tear ended his season. Behind a sieve of an offensive line, he completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 909 yards with just two passing touchdowns, taking 30 sacks in six starts while dealing with a neck injury.
"We hadn't played well, and I hadn't played well, so it was tough to have to leave it like that," Jones said of his ACL tear.
Being fully healthy for camp is step one for Jones to prove he's the long-term answer. The Giants could get out of his contract next offseason with relatively little pain if last year's issues continue.
"I expect a lot of myself, I expect a lot of the team," Jones said, "and what's going on outside that is not necessarily something that is going to drive me."
