New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones returned to the field on Sunday after missing the previous three weeks with a serious neck injury. However, the welcome-back party was abruptly cut short.
Early in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders, Jones was seen flexing his knee after appearing to land hard out of bound. He remained in the game and for a moment, it didn’t seem to be a glaring issue.
Then came the final play of the first quarter.
As Jones attempted to leave the pocket and avoid a sack, his knee buckled and he collapsed to the grass. Once again, he got up and began flexing his knee, which continued throughout the commercial break.
Then, on the very first play of the second quarter, Jones attempted a three-step drop and as he reached his desired depth, again collapsed to the turf.
Daniel Jones knee is injured pic.twitter.com/rJR06ivA2b
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) November 5, 2023
“It just buckled,” Jones told running back Saquon Barkley, per the FOX broadcast.
You didn’t need to be a doctor to recognize what had happened.
Although head coach Brian Daboll lacked any updates following the game, NFL Network inside Ian Rapoport reports that the Giants fear Jones suffered a serious knee injury and may be out for the remainder of the season.
On Monday, Jones will undergo an MRI to determine whether or not he tore his ACL (or more accurately, how bad the tear is).
#Giants QB Daniel Jones is feared to have suffered a significant knee injury, potentially a torn ACL based on the initial tests, per me and @MikeGarafolo. He’ll have an MRI to learn the full picture.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 6, 2023
Jones likely suffered the injury earlier in the first quarter, which was additionally evident by his inability to plant properly or throw accurately, with the remainder of the damage being done on the back-to-back snaps before exiting the game.
Assuming DJ did suffer a torn ACL, he will undergo season-ending surgery in the near future. And although it would be possible to return by the start of next season, it’s not a given. It also fully thrusts the Giants into the quarterback picture and leaves Jones’ long-term future in doubt.
When it rains, it pours.
