EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is going to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, marking the second time in three years he’s been sidelined by an injury.
Jones had an MRI on Monday and it showed the season-ending injury, coach Brian Daboll confirmed.
The sixth pick in the 2019 draft missed the final six games of the ‘21 season with a neck injury.
“It was devastating,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said Monday after hearing the news. “You know, one of my teammates, one of my good friends, it (stinks) to hear news like that with injuries like that. It’s something you can’t control. So just try to do my best to uplift him during this situation, help them out and wish him the best with the recovery.”
A 26-year-old who signed a four-year, $160 million contract in March, Jones was hurt on a non-contact play in the first half of Sunday’s 30–6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Giants now have a 2–7 record and little hope of making the playoffs for a second straight season.
The injury might force the Giants to consider drafting a quarterback in next year’s draft, particularly if they have a high pick.
Daboll had no information on when surgery would take place or whether any other parts of the knee were hurt.
“I talked to him obviously on the plane before he got the MRI, and then really, I just saw him for 30 seconds here before I came into this press conference,” Daboll said of Jones. “He was having a meeting with the doctors, just interrupted and told me what it was. I gave him a hug, and that’s my extent of it right now.”
Jones was not immediately available for comment. He was 108 of 160 for 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran 40 times for 206 yards and a TD.
“He’s a competitor, you know?” receiver Darius Slayton said of Jones. “Even though we didn’t know until this morning that he officially tore his ACL, but those moments as a player, obviously, the thought goes through your head and the first emotion is devastation. We all work extremely hard to make the best out of the 17 opportunities we get every year to play the game we love and having that slip away is not easy for any of us to deal with.”
Jones was returning to the lineup after missing three games with a neck injury, a different one than two years ago.
The Duke product was hurt on the final play of the first quarter when his right knee gave out while he was looking for a receiver downfield. There was no contact.
Jones was examined in the medical tent between quarters, did a little running on the sideline, and convinced the coaches and medical staff he could go back in. On the first play of the second quarter, he dropped back and his knee gave out again. He left the field and did not return.
Tommy DeVito, who was promoted from the practice squad this week with backup Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve with a rib cage injury, finished up, hitting 15 of 20 for 175 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He made his NFL debut the week before against the Jets after Taylor was hurt.
“I feel like DeVito did a good job coming in and played to the best of his ability,” Slayton said. “Obviously, we already have Matt Barkley, he’s a veteran quarterback on the roster and has been in Buffalo so he’s very familiar with the system. I’m sure whoever it is that they put out there will go out there and do a good job.”
Taylor, 34, will miss the next three games on injured reserve. That leaves DeVito and Barkley, a recent practice squad signing who wasn’t available Sunday because the Giants did not promote him for the game, to play quarterback, unless New York signs someone else.
Daboll said he was going to meet with general manager Joe Schoen later Monday to talk about the quarterback position. He said he was planning to get DeVito ready for a game Sunday against Dallas. The Cowboys beat the Giants 40–0 in the season opener.
