Giants' Daniel Jones offers update on ACL, neck injuries

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones spoke with reporters at the start of the voluntary offseason program on Monday and suggested he wants to play in Week 1 coming off the torn ACL he suffered on Nov. 5. 

"The plan is to be ready to go by training camp," Jones said, as shared by Alex Smith of SNY. "So, yeah, that’s what I’m shooting for, and feel good about being ready." 

While Jones seems on track to make a full recovery from the knee setback, it's perhaps more worrisome that he has missed a total of nine games since the start of the 2021 season because of a pair of neck injuries. He insisted this past fall his most recent neck issue was "different than what I've dealt with in the past," and he addressed concerns related to his neck on Monday. 

"My neck is 100 percent healthy," Jones said. "That was a stinger-type injury that’s pretty common in football, and that’s calmed down and I feel good." 

The Giants signed Drew Lock to have him serve as Jones' backup whenever the 26-year-old is cleared for contact. Big Blue is also expected to acquire a quarterback at some point during the upcoming draft, and some think/hope Giants general manager Joe Schoen will package the sixth overall pick with other assets to move up for a top prospect such as Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, LSU star Jayden Daniels or North Carolina's Drake Maye.

Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates of ESPN are among those who believe Schoen will let a team such as the Minnesota Vikings leapfrog the Giants in the draft order for McCarthy assuming that Daniels and Maye become top-three picks. In such a scenario, the Giants could target Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. or Oregon signal-caller Bo Nix later in the draft. 

Jones said on Monday his rehab "is going well," and he also declared he is convinced he is still the best man for New York's QB1 job. It's hardly a secret that the Giants can escape the four-year deal Jones signed in March 2023 as soon as next offseason, so he essentially finds himself in a contract year for the second time since the club declined his fifth-year option in the spring of 2022.