Jones’ goal after ACL surgery: ‘Be back by training camp’

Daniel Jones has more ambitious goals than just being ready for the start of the 2024 season.

In his first interview since undergoing knee surgery the day before Thanksgiving, the Giants quarterback said that his ACL repair “went well” and he already is attacking the rehab process. He wore a knee brace that stretched from his thigh to above his ankle as he walked through the Giants’ locker room at MetLife Stadium.

“Long term,” Jones said, “it’s definitely the goal to be back by training camp.”

One thing that makes an eightmonth post-surgery recovery timetable within the realm of reason is that Jones said no structural damage was discovered beyond the ACL. By comparison, Saquon Barkley suffered a torn meniscus and an MCL strain simultaneous to his torn ACL in 2020.

“The surgery is easier and the recovery is a lot easier without the other injuries,” Jones said.

A lot can change between now and training camp, including the possibility that the Giants draft a quarterback to compete against Jones for the starting job. So, nine months after signing a four-year, $160 million extension, does Jones still see himself as the franchise’s quarterback of the future?

“Yeah, I do,” Jones said. “But I’m focused on what I’m doing right now — rehabbing and getting back on the field.”

General manager Joe Schoen said last week that he expects Jones to remain the Giants’ starter in 2024 but still left wiggle room for a lot of variables, including Jones not being healthy by Week 1 in September. Jones’ modus operandi is to push hard-working limits, and quarterbacks don’t take hits or need to scramble during controlled training-camp practices.

“Doing everything I can to check all the boxes and go through it as thoroughly and as well as I can,” Jones said. “It’s a long road ahead. I think it depends on how I do with each stage of it and how it progresses.”

While his teammates practiced across the street, Jones surprised Putnam Valley High School football team manager Eduardo Recinos with the 2023 USA Football Heart of a Giant award, presented by the Hospital for Special Surgery. Recinos earned a $10,000 equipment grant for the program and received two tickets to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Recinos was diagnosed with Spastic Cerebral Palsy at birth and he was unable to walk on his own for years, according to a news release. He gained the ability to walk after numerous surgeries and, after carrying a football through school hallways every day, attended every practice and game as Putnam Valley’s first-year manager.

“Being part of a team — that aspect of it — has meant a ton to me in my life,” Jones said. “A story like Eduardo’s is especially significant. He’s overcome a lot of obstacles in his life. To go from where he was to walking on his own, being part of a team, helping out, bringing a lot of energy, positivity and enthusiasm that is truly infectious to the group, that certainly makes a difference.”