Giants QB Daniel Jones: ACL rehab went 'pretty smooth' with 'no real setbacks'

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.

Throughout the offseason, the Giants were cautious with Jones’ recovery, preventing him from participating in full team activities. The team consistently maintained that he would be fully prepared and able to participate fully once training camp began.

Jones reported in an interview with Phil and Matt Simms on the “Simms Complete” podcast on the Bleav Podcast Network that his recovery has been fairly smooth, without significant hindrances. Also, Ian Rapoport, an insider at the NFL Network, stated on Tuesday that Jones is anticipated to be ready for camp and will not be put 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.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

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.

Even prior to the season-ending ACL tear, Jones had a challenging season. With an ineffective offensive line, he still managed to complete 67.5 percent of his passes for 909 yards, however, he only scored two passing touchdowns. In his six starts, he was sacked 30 times and was also dealing with a neck injury.

“It was difficult to end it that way, especially since we hadn’t performed well and I personally hadn’t played well,” Jones commented, referring to his ACL tear.

Jones needs to be fully healthy for camp as the first step to prove he’s the Giants’ long-term solution. If the issues from last year persist, the Giants could easily terminate his contract next offseason with minimal consequences.

“Jones said, “I have high expectations for myself and for the team. However, external factors are not necessarily what motivate me.”