Giants’ QB Daniel Jones set for big step Saturday in pivotal year

When it comes to Daniel Jones’ scraggly facial hair, are you ‘Team Beard’ or ‘Team No Beard’?

That seems to be the all-consuming question these days when it comes to the New York Giants’ quarterback. For what it’s worth, I’m Team Beard. I think it gives him a tougher look. Especially since Jones’ beard isn’t one of those perfectly-manicured jobs.

“Getting a lot of questions about the beard,” a smiling Jones said on Thursday. “It’s not a new me.”

Regardless, while whether the facial hair stays or goes seems to be the prevalent question with Jones, it is far from the most important one.

The real question is what kind of quarterback will Jones be in 2024? The answer holds massive implications for the Giants’ 2024 season, Jones’ future, and the Giants’ long-term approach to the quarterback position.

Jones makes his preseason debut on Saturday against the Houston Texans, his first game action since tearing his ACL Week 9 of the 2023 season against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I’m ready to go. I’m ready to play as much as (head coach Brian Daboll) Dabs wants me to play,” Jones said on Thursday. “I’m ready to play and looking forward to getting out there.”

Jones has taken every first-team 11-on-11 rep during training camp, getting used to having defenders around his surgically-repaired knee. The difference on Saturday, of course, will be that Jones won’t be wearing a red non-contact jersey. Texans’ defenders will be able to hit him — at least to the extent NFL rules now allow quarterbacks to be hit.

Jones says his knee is not something he will be thinking about however long he plays against Houston.

“I don’t think I’ll be thinking about my knee much,” Jones said. “I think I’ve tested it. I’ve tested it in practice, tested it in my rehab and workouts and feel like it’s in a good place. I’m confident my knee will be ready to go. It won’t be something I’m thinking about much.

“I’m not seeing it differently than I would any other year. I think with the first hit of the season and playing again after time off. Maybe I’ve had a little bit longer time off than in a normal situation. But as far as my knee or any of that, I’m not too concerned about that first hit. But like any preseason or like any first contact of the year, I think that kind of makes you feel like football again.”

Jones and the Giants always seemed to believe he would be ready to start the season, with Jones saying Thursday that he “expected to be here”. The quarterback, always known as one of the hardest-working Giants, took that approach to his rehab. He not only seems healthy, but bigger and sturdier than in the past.

Jones has always had the respect of his coaches and teammates for the way he works and comports himself.

During training camp, head coach Brian Daboll has said he is “proud” of Jones for the way he has come back and that he has “done a fantastic job” coming back from the injury.

Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said Thursday that Jones has been “doing a great job” throughout camp.

“He’s a dog,” said running back Devin Singletary, who is in his first year with the Giants. “He comes to work every day. Definitely a playmaker. I feel like we’re going to have a lot of fun this year with him.”

All that praise won’t matter if the Giants don’t have fun — and score a lot more than the 15.6 points per game they did in 2023 — during the upcoming season.

Jones knows the Giants tried to draft his successor this offseason, and would have if they had been able to engineer a trade up to No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft to select Drake Maye. Jones admitted at the beginning of training camp that he was “not excited about” the Giants’ pursuit of a new quarterback.

The fact that they did not get one has given the 2019 No. 6 overall pick a reprieve, with GM Joe Schoen calling this “the year for Daniel.”

It is the final year of guaranteed money in his four-year, $160 million contract. Jones will either be good — it might take being better than he has ever been — or he will be gone.

With a quartet of wide receivers led by first-round pick Malik Nabers that should easily be the best he has ever thrown to, and a group of veteran offensive linemen who should find a way to at least perform competently in front of him, there is optimism he can do that.

The first in-game step toward finding out comes on Saturday.