The Giants got more bad news Monday when the worst was confirmed: quarterback Daniel Jones has a torn ACL and is out for the season.
Jones’ injury was confirmed by coach Brian Daboll. He suffered it on a Malcolm Koonce sack on the first play of the second quarter. Jones was only 4 of 9 with 25 yards and had already missed three games with a neck injury.
Even worse, the Giants lost 30-6 and dropped to 2-7, dead last in the NFC East. Worse yet, veteran backup Tyrod Taylor is on injured reserve with a rib injury. Cue Don Bosco alum Tommy Devito stepping into that enormous Big Blue spotlight.
And just a reminder, the Giants are stuck with Jones for at least one more year. The four-year, $160 million deal he signed in the offseason is basically a two-year deal. The greater issue is Jones has never really been a QB1 and yet has a QB1’s salary. He’ll earn $35.5 million in base salary next year and there’s no telling just how healthy he’ll be.
Thus, the post-Eli Manning Era rolls on. Daniel Jones had his chance to fill the two-time Super Bowl MVP’s shoes. All the Giants have to show since Manning’s retirement is last year’s overachieving run to the Divisional Round.
Who knows what happens next? John Mara needs a fall guy and Daboll seems more likely than general manager Joe Schoen. Especially if Xavier McKinney’s talk of locker room tumult is true.
There’s no help on the way either. The Giants aren’t the worst team in the league, so Caleb Williams isn’t coming to the rescue. It doesn’t help that he’s an elite talent in a weak QB class.
It seems all the Giants can do is ride out the rest of the season and then make the fateful decision: Daniel Jones, or tank again?
