Daniel Jones’ season is over, and his time with the New York Giants could be as well. The Giants placed Jones on the injured reserve Monday, officially shutting down the former first-round pick due to a significant neck injury with three games remaining in a lost season.
Daniel Jones placed on the injured reserve
“Over the course of the past few weeks, Daniel has been examined by Dr. Frank Cammisa of Hospital for Special Surgery and Dr. Robert Watkins of the Marina Spine Center at Marina Del Rey Hospital,” Giants head athletic trainer Ronnie Barnes announced.
“Our medical team has continued to consult with Dr. Cammisa and Dr. Watkins regarding Daniel’s condition and symptoms, and at this point, Daniel has not been cleared for contact. We felt the prudent decision was to place Daniel on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. With continued rest and treatment, we expect a full recovery.”
Giants coach Joe Judge told reporters Monday that doctors do not believe Jones needs surgery, and the move was more precautionary in nature.
That organizational decision ends yet another disappointing season for Jones, and it could presage his offseason departure from Gotham. In 38 games (including 37 starts) with the Giants, Jones has completed just 62.8% of his passes for 45 touchdowns, 29 interceptions, and 6.6 yards per attempt. The Giants have lost 25 of Jones’ 37 starts. By any metric, he has not met expectations.
Giants could move on from Jones in 2022
Which raises the obvious question: Will the Giants cut their losses this offseason and move on? They’re already reportedly set to part ways with general manager Dave Gettleman, who selected Jones sixth overall in 2019 — far higher than most believed was reasonable.
Assuming Gettleman is indeed gone, whomever the Giants hire to replace Gettleman won’t feel any loyalty to Jones. Rather, it will make it easier for the organization to move on — if a better option is available.
Daniel Jones’ salary cap hit
The Giants are on the hook for $4.2 million in guaranteed compensation for Jones last year. Additionally, they would take an $8.4 million cap hit if they cut him. But it’s not hard to envision a team trading for Jones considering that even without a restructure, he will only cost backup money in a trade. The Panthers similarly took on Sam Darnold’s contract earlier this year. However, they made the mistake of picking up his fifth-year option, which is worth a fully guaranteed $18.9 million.
We don’t see that happening with Jones. But we can envision a team like the Seahawks — who have their own questions at quarterback — picking up Jones as a bridge quarterback or a reclamation project. There’s a real chance Russell Wilson forces his way out of Seattle. Ironically, the Giants are reportedly one of his preferred destinations.
But even if the Giants cannot swing a trade for Wilson, we expect them to aggressively address the quarterback position this offseason. They have two first-round picks next April, and if the season ended today, both would be in the top 10.
That ammo would give them the ability to either swing a trade for a veteran or use a high pick on a quarterback. Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss’ Matt Corral, and Nevada’s Carson Strong are the top three prospects, according to Pro Football Network’s latest quarterback rankings.