Giants QB Jones out vs. Bills with neck injury

Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff WriterOct 13, 2023, 11:47 AM ET
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will not play against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night because of a neck injury, coach Brian Daboll said Friday.

Jones was injured Sunday in a 31-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins when his neck snapped back violently as he was hit from behind on his sixth sack of the game. He has not practiced this week.

“I think he’s getting better, but not good enough to play in this game,” Daboll said.

Tyrod Taylor has been taking the first-team reps at practice and will start against his former team, the Bills.

It’s uncertain if he will have Saquon Barkley available, as Daboll would only say the running back is “closer” to a return than previous weeks. Barkley is listed as questionable after being limited again this week in practice and moving with limitations. He has missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain.

“Yeah, pain, cutting,” Barkley said this week of the most difficult part of the injury. “That’s what happens when you hurt your ankle, you get some inflammation in there and you’re kind of just working through that and working through the soreness.

“But like I said, each week has been trending upwards. I feel way better this Wednesday and this Thursday than I felt in the past.”

Daboll had said this week that there was optimism on Jones, but that was before the results of an MRI came back. Jones admitted it wasn’t negative, but the quarterback said he was not concerned this is a long-term issue. Neither Jones nor Daboll went into specifics on the injury, though Jones did say this wasn’t the same neck injury he suffered in 2021. He missed the final six games of that season with what sources described to ESPN at the time as a disk issue.

“It feels different. It’s not the same injury,” said Jones, who was still aiming to play as of Wednesday afternoon.

But Jones hasn’t run or thrown at practice since the injury. Daboll said Jones is doing rehab work inside the team facility.

“I’d just say he’s getting better,” Daboll said. “We’ll take it day by day.”

Jones is hardly the Giants’ only injury concern entering a difficult environment in Buffalo. All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), starting center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder), offensive tackle Matt Peart (shoulder) and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (ankle) were also ruled out. As if that’s not enough, tight end Darren Waller and right tackle Evan Neal (ankle) are also questionable.

The Giants will be fielding a makeshift offensive line in front of Taylor. Recently signed veteran Justin Pugh could make his return or an offensive lineman signed recently to the practice squad (Jalen Mayfield or Yodny Cajuste) may be asked to start at right tackle.

New York is a 15-point underdog Sunday night in Buffalo. If the line closes at that number, the Giants would be the biggest underdog in the NFL this season.