Sources Indicate Giants’ Daniel Jones May Have Torn ACL in Noncontact Knee Injury

By Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff Writer

Nov 5, 2023, 06:15 PM ET

LAS VEGAS – New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones left Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half due to a noncontact knee injury, raising concerns that his season may be over.

Fear of a Torn ACL

Sources have revealed that there is an initial fear that Jones has suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. An MRI has been scheduled for Monday to assess the full extent of the injury, but there is significant concern that this could be a long-term issue. Jones had just returned to the field after missing three games due to a neck injury.

Head coach Brian Daboll expressed his disappointment, stating, “Tough. You never want your guys to go down. He’s worked really hard to get back. It’s unfortunate.”

Further Testing Required

Jones underwent an X-ray at Allegiant Stadium, which came back negative. However, further tests and the MRI in New York will ultimately determine his fate.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Concerns Grow

After the game, Jones walked through the locker room without crutches but with a noticeable limp. His facial expressions suggested that the situation was not promising.

Running back Saquon Barkley commented on the uncertainty, saying, “I’m not going to jump the gun or anything. I’m not going to sit here and speak for [Jones]. You don’t know until you get an MRI. Pray for him. He knows I got his back no matter what. We got his back no matter what. … You never know until you have to get an MRI.”

Injury Occurred Without Contact

The concerning aspect of the injury is that it happened without Jones taking a hit. His knee buckled on the final play of the first quarter when he was sacked.

Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh, who recently returned from a torn ACL, expressed his concern, stating, “That’s not a good sign. You never want to put the cart before the horse. Let’s get an MRI. Let’s get pictures of it. I was in his shoes a year ago, but let’s just hope everything is all right.”

Backup Quarterback Steps In

Tommy DeVito replaced Jones in the game. The undrafted rookie had a challenging performance, throwing for minus-1 yard against the New York Jets the previous week. Against the Raiders, DeVito completed 15-of-20 passes for 175 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions.

A Nightmare Season

This season has been a nightmare for Jones and the Giants, especially after signing a four-year, $160 million contract. Jones, 26, had a rough start to the game, going 4-of-9 passing for 25 yards before leaving due to the injury. He has thrown two touchdown passes and six interceptions in six games this season.

Long Road to Recovery

The locker room atmosphere indicated that Jones could face a lengthy recovery process.

Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who also tore an ACL last season, empathized with Jones, saying, “Seeing him already, kind of knew everything he had to go through with the neck, just feel like he couldn’t catch a break.”

Backup Quarterback Situation

The Giants are already without backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was placed on injured reserve with a rib cage injury. DeVito and veteran Matt Barkley are the only two healthy quarterbacks on the roster. The team is expected to add another quarterback due to Jones’ anticipated extended absence.

A Season Filled with Setbacks

This injury adds to the long list of setbacks the Giants have faced this season.

Pugh expressed his devastation, saying, “For him to come back from what he just came back from and then have an injury today, I just couldn’t think of a worse-case scenario for a guy. Just devastating. I hurt for him.”