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Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — An MRI on Monday morning confirmed the New York Giants‘ fears. Quarterback Daniel Jones has a torn ACL in his right knee and will miss the remainder of the season, coach Brian Daboll announced.
“All I know is he has a torn ACL right now,” Daboll said. “Obviously surgery will ensue, but I don’t know when that will be.”
The Giants (2-7) were still digesting the news Monday afternoon that their quarterback’s season is over after just six games.
“It’s devastating,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “One of my teammates. One of my good friends. It sucks to hear news like that.”
Jones missed three games with a neck injury before tearing the knee ligament Sunday on a noncontact injury. It caps a disappointing campaign for the Giants quarterback, who signed a four-year, $160 million deal this offseason, and complicates his and the team’s future.
The Giants will now turn to Tommy DeVito or Matt Barkley this week against the Dallas Cowboys. Daboll wouldn’t commit to DeVito starting after he came in to replace Jones on Sunday in Las Vegas.
DeVito went 15-of-20 passing for 175 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions against the Raiders, one week after throwing for minus-1 yard in an overtime loss to the New York Jets. Barkley is currently on the practice squad.
“I think Tommy did a good job,” Daboll said. “But again, I’m not going to give you one thing and it’s a different thing. I have confidence in Tommy. He’s done a good job. But I’ll sit down and talk with Joe, figure out what’s next.”
Daboll also said he wasn’t sure whether backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who is on injured reserve with an injury to his ribs, would return this season. That depends on how his ribs heal.
The earliest Taylor could return is after the Giants’ bye week in early December.
Jones, 26, threw two touchdown passes and six interceptions in six games this season. He dealt with a pair of injuries, including the second neck injury in his five professional seasons. He also missed the final six games of the 2021 season with a disc injury in his neck.
The Giants’ starting quarterback still has $35.5 million fully guaranteed for next season. After that, only $23 million is guaranteed for injury.
The Giants had significant aspirations entering the season. They added players for Jones (including tight end Darren Waller in a trade and speedy wide receiver Jalin Hyatt in the draft) in hopes of becoming more explosive offensively.
Instead, they’re last in the NFL in averaging 11.2 points per game and seem to be on their way to having a high pick in the 2024 NFL draft with their quarterback stuck on the sideline.
Jones left Sunday’s 30-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half because of the noncontact knee injury. He stumbled into a sack on the final play of the first quarter, when it’s likely the injury occurred.
Jones spent the time in between quarters testing and flexing his right knee. On the first play of the second quarter, he collapsed to the ground untouched during his dropback.
“He felt like he buckled,” Daboll said of the final play of the first quarter. “And then he was running it off. We went over and talked to him, and he said, ‘Nah, I’m good.’ Then went back in and obviously he wasn’t.”
Now surgery and a lengthy rehab awaits. The traditional nine months for the recovery would get Jones back on the field in August for training camp.
By then, the Giants’ quarterback position could look different with Taylor set to become a free agent and depending on how the draft unfolds.
“It’s pretty disappointing. You don’t ever want to see any of your teammates go down,” wide receiver Darius Slayton said. “But for me personally, being here my whole career with [Jones], kind of just the natural connection a quarterback and receiver have, obviously for me it’s a bit personal.”
Jones, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Duke, is a popular player in the locker room and a team captain. He was coming off a strong first year working with Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka that provided hope he would continue ascending.
Jones finished sixth in the NFL in 2022 with a QBR of 62.9 and threw 15 touchdown passes, rushed for seven more scores and had just eight total turnovers.
The Giants made the playoffs and won a postseason game for the first time since the 2011 season. It helped Jones earn the new contract and set him up as their potential long-term quarterback before the injuries.
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