Giants QB Daniel Jones to have MRI after leg injury in win over Bengals

It seemed like a routine play for Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who took a snap early in the third quarter and scrambled up the middle for a 7-yard gain. But after being tackled at the Bengals’ 21-yard line, he grabbed the back of his right leg in the hamstring area.

Jones stayed in for two more plays before backup Colt McCoy came on. He tried to come back in the next series but took himself out again after throwing a short pass to tight end Evan Engram.

And now he waits. After the Giants’ 19-17 win at Paul Brown Stadium, Jones said he will undergo an MRI on Monday, the results of which will determine whether he misses any time.

"Just felt it on that [scramble] and didn’t feel like I could get a lot on it or do what I needed to be effective and move the ball and throw it accurately," Jones said. "Just look to rehab it, do whatever I can to heal it up as fast as I can."

Jones said the team’s medical staff hasn’t given him an indication about whether he’ll be able to play next Sunday in Seattle.

"No, just you take it day by day and get back and look at it, examine it and work hard to improve it every day," he said.

Jones will get credit for winning his third straight start after leaving the game with the score tied at 10. He finished 16-for-27 passing for 213 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. It was his third straight game without a turnover.

Giants coach Joe Judge will determine Jones’ status after Monday’s MRI and further evaluation by the medical staff.

"I don’t really know much," Judge said.

But he did know that the injury was significant enough to take Jones off the field, even though the second-year quarterback desperately wanted to continue.

"I actually talked to him on the sidelines in terms of how he was," Judge said. "It was at a point where he couldn’t continue in the game, which takes a hell of a lot. Daniel is a really tough dude. So we’ll take a look and see what it is. He just has to see the doctors and to get some MRIs — things like that are standard procedure. We kind of MRI everything around here."

The pictures will tell Jones how much time he will need to recover. That could mean missing time because of injury for the second straight season. Jones missed two games in 2019 with an ankle injury. He was replaced by Eli Manning, who finished his 16-year career in 2019 without ever missing a start because of injury.

Jones seemed particularly muted Sunday in discussing his injury but said he is "certainly not discouraged. I think it’s tough to tell exactly what it is right now."

The more important feeling was satisfaction about how his team — and 10-year veteran McCoy — did in his absence.

"I thought he did a great job coming in and executing and moving the ball down the field and scoring some points there," Jones said. "That was big-time and obviously I’ve learned a ton from Colt, he’s played a lot of football, been in this league for a long time, and I think you were able to see that when he gets out on the field and executes, and how well he did it. Good to see the team get a win down the stretch."

By Bob Glauber

Special to NewsdayBobGlauber

Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”