Daniel Jones improving, but Giants' QB situation vs. Dolphins remains unclear
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones scrambles against the Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on Nov. 24. Credit: EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Tannan Maury
Thursday came and went and the Giants lacked “full clarity” about their quarterback situation on Sunday.
Daniel Jones was listed as limited in practice, with Eli Manning taking the first-team reps, but Jones seemed unencumbered by the high ankle sprain he suffered on Dec. 1. He even stayed after practice to make extra throws with practice-squad receivers Alex Bachman and David Sills and seemed to make a point of walking through the locker room filled with reporters without a trace of a limp.
While the Giants have not yet seen enough from Jones to declare him ready to face the Dolphins, neither have they seen anything to rule him out. They remain in quarterback limbo and might remain there until just before game time on Sunday.
The Giants will announce their final injury report on Friday, at which time they could rule Jones out. It’s more likely to be decided closer to kickoff.
“He’s getting better,” Pat Shurmur said. “We’ll see how he responds through [Thursday] evening, but he’s making progress. We’ll just see if he makes enough to play . . . It’s going to probably take time as we go here. Not full clarity. Just like any injury, it’s a process.”
Notes & quotes: RB Saquon Barkley said he feels “the best, to be honest, of a lot of people in the league” and admitted that his injuries did take a toll on his production this season.
“Even though physically you feel like you are back, and mentally you might tell yourself you are back, but on film you watch yourself and you see where you are running and protecting yourself,” he said. “You don’t even think you are doing it but it just naturally happens. I think I’m getting better and better each week and getting healthier and healthier each week.”
Kevin Zeitler (ankle) will miss Sunday’s game, and Shurmur said Nick Gates will take his place at right guard. Gates has one career start earlier this season at right tackle . . . TE Evan Engram (foot) was limited. CB Corey Ballentine (concussion) was a full participant and likely will be cleared from the protocol on Friday afternoon . . . T Nate Solder was named the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
