Giants coach Pat Shurmur says rookie QB Daniel Jones has 'exceeded expectations'

Daniel Jones hasn’t even participated in a full training camp practice yet. That will happen on Thursday. But the Giants are already impressed by what little they have seen from their rookie quarterback who, Pat Shurmur said, has “exceeded expectations.”

“We really haven’t seen anything that he can’t do in terms of playing quarterback,” Shurmur said on Wednesday. “Now it’s just a matter of going out and doing it.”

That’s what these next six weeks will be about. Jones, who signed his rookie contract on Monday and led the Giants rookies and a handful of veterans in some pre-camp practices on Tuesday and Wednesday, will have a bunch of firsts in the next month or so. First full practice, first practice in pads, first preseason game.

First reps with the first team?

“We’ll see how that goes,” Shurmur said of how he plans to handle the distribution or reps between Jones and starter Eli Manning. “We have a plan for that. It’ll sort of reveal itself.”

So, too, will Jones reveal himself. Shurmur and the Giants’ front office did a lot of research into him leading up to the draft, so they are not surprised by anything he has already flashed for them. For outside observers – media, fans, etc. – this will be their first in-depth insight into a player the Giants hope will be the face of their franchise well into the next decade.

Shurmur said his goal for Jones this camp is to “continue to grow.”

“I think it’s important that he learns something new every day,” Shurmur said. “A lot of what he’s doing, he’s doing for the first time. And it’s really a process. You go from not even practicing against a defense, to against your own defense, then you put the pads on, and then you’re involved in preseason games. As we go through all of the steps, see him have success.”

SHURMUR WISHES ODELL WELL

Pat Shurmur has apparently been too busy to dive into the latest issue of GQ. One of the assertions made by former Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. in an interview with the magazine – that Shurmur was the reason he was traded – seemed to catch the coach off guard.

“I’m the reason? Is that what he said?” Shurmur said. “I really don’t have any reaction other than I know when the trade was made, we felt like we went through it in a professional way. He was out of the country at the time when it happened, and we made efforts to get in touch with him. I know Dave (Gettleman) actually did speak to him, and I made efforts to get in touch with him, both through phone and text. But he was out of the country. Listen, I’ve said it all along, we’re hopeful that he can go to Cleveland and help them win football games and play good football. That’s really the gist of it.”

GIANT STEPS

OL Nate Solder (ankle) and Mike Remmers (back) were held out of spring workouts but both are expected to participate in Thursday’s first practice of camp. Shurmur said he does not expect any veterans to begin camp on PUP … WR Darius Slayton (hamstring) did not participate in the rookie practice on Wednesday … The Giants signed rookie TE Isaiah Searight, re-signed rookie K Joey Slye who they released in the spring, and claimed WR Da’Mari Scott off waivers from the Bills. To make room of the roster they waived TE/QB Eric Dungey, terminated the contract of DB Tony Lippett, and received a commissioner’s exemption for defensive back Kamrin Moore who was suspended by the team last week after his alleged involvement in a domestic violence incident.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

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.