Giants Expect QB Daniel Jones To Be Ready Week 1, Exploring Draft Options

Mike Garafolo reports that the Giants currently expect QB Daniel Jones to be ready for Week 1, as he is progressing well from his ACL injury.

Garafolo adds that the Giants will also explore their options with the sixth overall pick in the draft, with GM Joe Schoen attending several games featuring quarterback prospects, including USC against Washington which featured Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr.

Schoen previously told reporters that when Jones is healthy, he will be the team’s starting quarterback. Currently, New York has UDFA QB Tommy DeVito and Jones under contract for 2024, with backup QB Tyrod Taylor on an expiring deal. 

The Giants have done extensive homework on the top options at quarterback in this upcoming draft class. However, their pick has now dipped outside of the top two, which makes it less likely New York will draft a quarterback in the first round.

Jones was signed to a major, $40 million a year contract this past offseason after he seemingly answered a lot of questions about his future in a breakout 2022 season. No matter what, he’s locked onto the roster in 2024.  But the team’s step back in 2023 has reopened the uncertainty about Jones’ future in New York, especially after he suffered a torn ACL against the Raiders.

Jones, 26, was selected by the Giants with the No. 6 overall pick out of Duke in the 2019 NFL Draft. He finished the final year of his four-year, $25,664,056 rookie contract that included a $16,684,768 signing bonus. 

The Giants declined Jones’ fifth-year option entering the 2022 season. After playing out his deal, he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the team back in March.

In 2023, Jones appeared in six games for the Giants and completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 909 yards to go along with two touchdowns and six interceptions. He added 40 rush attempts for 206 yards and another touchdown. 

We’ll have more on the Giants and Jones as the news is available.