NFL
Giants QB Daniel Jones (knee) fully cleared for contact to begin training camp
Jones, who suffered an ACL tear last season and didn’t participate in team drills during spring workouts, will take part in 11-on-11 drills.
“We’ve got to see how the body [reacts],” general manager Joe Schoen said. “We don’t know. In spring, he didn’t do team drills. He’s eight months off of it. We’re gonna work with him, and he’s got to communicate with us on how his body feels, how the knee feels, and that’ll determine how much he does moving forward. But the plan is to be full-go.”
The expectation most of the offseason has been that Jones would be ready for camp. The QB enters a pivotal season wherein his future could be in the balance. The Giants brought in backup Drew Lock, but despite reports that there could be a quarterback competition, Big Blue’s brass has stood behind Jones every step of the offseason.
After inking a four-year, $160 million contract last year, Jones played a career-low six games and struggled behind a sieve offensive line. If his play spirals, the Giants could move on after the season.
Schoen dismissed a question about whether future injury guarantees could affect how the Giants handle the position during the season. We’ve seen other clubs — Las Vegas with Derek Carr, Denver with Russell Wilson — bench starters to avoid injuries that might lead to more dollars guaranteed before an eventual release.
“That’s a conversation down the road,” Schoen said when asked about the injury guarantee.
The fact that the question is being asked on the first day of training camp practices underscores the precarious position Jones finds himself entering the season.