Daniel Jones - Pro Football Rumors

Injury Updtes: Callahan, Broncos, Jones, Giants, Linsley, Packers, Hamilton, Jaguars

November 30th, 2020 at 1:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ve got a batch of next-morning injury updates to pass along. Starting in Denver, where Broncos cornerback Bryce Callahan went down with a foot injury. Unfortunately, that injury will sideline him for a “significant” amount of time, head coach Vic Fangio said Monday, via Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link). Fangio said it was too early to tell if it would knock him out for the rest of the season, but that certainly sounds possible.

It’s a big blow for a Broncos team that has already been besieged by injuries. Callahan is an every down guy and one of their best players on defense. He’s in the second year of a three-year, $21MM deal he signed in March of 2019. He missed all of last season with a foot injury, although this new issue thankfully appears to be unrelated.

Here are some more health updates from around the league:

We heard last night that Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was feared to have a significant hamstring injury that could cause him to miss some time, but it sounds like things aren’t quite as bad as they seemed. Jones avoided major injury and has an “outside shot” at playing this Sunday, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It appears it won’t be anything long-term, although Colt McCoy still seems like the favorite to be under center this coming weekend against the Seahawks. Every game is pivotal for Big Blue as they jockey for position in the pitiful NFC East.
Packers center Corey Linsley had to be carted off with a knee injury during the team’s win over the Bears last night, and fortunately it looks like a worst case scenario was avoided. That being said he’s not entirely out of the woods, as a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that Linsley will miss some time with a knee sprain (Twitter link). Matt LaFleur told reporters he hopes Linsley can make it back for some of the regular season, but it sounds like he should at least be ready for the playoffs. Linsley has been the guy snapping balls to Aaron Rodgers for every game of the last four seasons, so this is a big loss.
The Jaguars fell to 1-10 yesterday, and the hits keep on coming. Rookie defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton had to be carted off against the Browns and while head coach Doug Marrone said today it wasn’t as bad as was initially thought, he’ll still be going to injured reserve with a knee issue, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Hamilton was the 73rd overall pick of April’s draft. The Ohio State product had been playing a big role in his first pro season, starting the last six games and playing around 60 percent of the defensive snaps.

Daniel Jones To Miss Time?

November 29th, 2020 at 5:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Giants are in the lead in the NFC East thanks to a tiebreaker over Washington, but they picked up a big injury during Sunday’s win over the Bengals when starting quarterback Daniel Jones went down.

Jones has a hamstring injury that is believed to be “pretty bad,” a source told Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Raanan adds that it could force him to miss some time, and if it’s actually “pretty bad,” that would almost certainly be the case. Jones will go for an MRI on Monday that will tell the full story. A hamstring injury is especially tough for Jones since his mobility is a huge part of his game.

The Giants have frequently used his legs to help spark the offense this season, and he already has 403 rushing yards on the year. He’s been active as a runner in pretty much every game, and his passing numbers would likely look a lot worse if he didn’t have that scrambling ability. The second-year pro struggled mightily early in the year but had been a bit better recently, with no interceptions in his past three games.

The sixth overall pick of the 2019 draft has eight touchdowns and nine picks through the air. If he has to miss any games, Colt McCoy will take over as the starter. He’s in his first year with the team and doesn’t have much of a relationship with OC Jason Garrett, so things could get rough. New York has a tough schedule coming up, including a trip to Seattle to take on the Seahawks next week. We’ll keep you posted once we hear more on the situation.

NFL Draft Rumors: Giants, Herbert, Tua

April 20th, 2020 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

Will the Giants actually consider quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 4 overall pick, even though they already have Daniel Jones under center? The answer is no, according to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, though GM Dave Gettleman has been eyeing him for quite some time. Had Herbert entered last year, he would have been Gettleman’s top choice, Pauline hears.

Here’s a look at the latest draft rumblings from around the NFL:

In private conversations, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has indicated that Herbert is not actually in consideration for the No. 5 pick, a source close to Ross tells Pauline. That same source says the pick will either be used on Tua Tagovailoa or a position player, with Jordan Love being selected sometime later. If it’s a non-QB at No. 5, Pauline hears that tackle Andrew Thomas is the most likely choice.
Multiple NFL execs tell ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler that the Vikings are looking to move back. The Vikings own Nos. 22 and 25, but they could fill their needs at cornerback and wide receiver later on. In the second round, they should be able to land one of this year’s second-tier corners such as Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton, or Alabama’s Trevon Diggs – the brother of former Vikes receiver Stefon Diggs.
Based on what we’ve heard, Washington’s Jacob Eason profiles as a Day 2 pick for QB-needy teams like the Patriots. He could also be a fit for teams looking to groom their next signal caller. One AFC exec pondered the possibility of Eason going to the Buccaneers, where the pure passer serve as the heir to Tom Brady. The Bucs own the No. 45 overall pick in the second round and Eason could be there for them, provided that teams like the Colts (No. 34) don’t pounce first.

Giants QB Daniel Jones To Start Week 16

December 20th, 2019 at 11:29am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants are turning back to their rookie signal-caller. After re-inserting franchise icon Eli Manning into the starting lineup while Daniel Jones was dealing with a high-ankle sprain, New York is once again handing the reins to Jones, head coach Pat Shurmur announced on Friday.

While the team obviously wants to give Jones as much experience as it can, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 draft has seen a lot of action this year, and one could argue that it doesn’t make sense to risk injuring him in meaningless games. Plus, the Giants do close the season at home, so fans certainly wouldn’t mind giving Manning one more sendoff.

Jones took over the starting role in Week 3 and has gone 2-8 in the games that he has started. He has shown plenty of promise and has thrown 18 touchdown passes while posting a 61.6% completion rate, but he has also struggled with turnovers. He has thrown 11 interceptions to go along with his 18 TDs, and he has fumbled an alarming 15 times.

Manning, meanwhile, is near the end of his career, though recent reports have affirmed that he does not want to retire at the end of the season. He wants to at least compete for a starting job in 2020, and he wants to play for a team that has a chance at the postseason.

In his four games this season, the two-time Super Bowl MVP has thrown for six TDs against five interceptions and has posted a quarterback rating of 82.6. The Giants have gone 1-3 in those games, with the one win coming against the 3-11 Dolphins on Sunday.

NFC East Notes: Manning, Redskins, Cowboys

December 9th, 2019 at 12:05pm CST by Rory Parks

Giants QB Eli Manning said back in April that he wants to continue playing in 2020, and as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes, the soon-to-be 39-year-old has not deviated from that stance. Manning, who was benched in favor of rookie Daniel Jones following New York’s Week 2 loss to Buffalo, is slated to start for the Giants on Monday night due to Jones’ ankle injury. And, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Jones’ injury could force him to miss 2-4 weeks, so Manning could end up finishing out the season for Big Blue.

Manning’s contract with the Giants expires at the end of the year, and he knows he will need to go elsewhere if he wants to continue playing. However, he doesn’t want to just collect a paycheck, he wants to start, and he wants to start for a team that has at least some chance of cracking the postseason. Given that the 2020 QB market could be unusually strong, Manning may have a tough time finding such an opportunity, though his odds of doing so would improve dramatically if he plays well down the stretch.

Now for more from the NFC East:

The Redskins will be looking for a new HC this offseason, and Albert Breer of SI.com says several high-profile candidates have told Washington they will not go there if the structure of the organization does not change. It’s unclear exactly what that means, though head of football operations Bruce Allen would definitely scare away some candidates if he remains. Redskins owner Dan Snyder is considering parting ways with Allen, and he may have to do even more to attract the type of big-name coach that he is looking for.
The Cowboys have real interest in Urban Meyer as their next head coach, and Jon Machota of The Athletic offers a list of candidates that Dallas should take a look at. Meyer is at the top of the list, and despite the fact that the Saints just gave Sean Payton a healthy extension, Machota expects Jerry Jones to “try anything possible” to bring Payton to Dallas. Machota also names the recently-fired Ron Rivera as a possibility, though Rivera will surely attract plenty of interest from other clubs in need of an HC.
Redskins RB Derrius Guice is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain during Sunday’s loss to the Packers, and he may be done for the season.
Giants DL Leonard Williams believes he should be paid “top-tier money,” and if he doesn’t get it from New York, he is prepared to test the open market in 2020.

Giants QB Daniel Jones Ruled Out, Eli Manning To Start

December 7th, 2019 at 11:17am CST by Ben Levine

The Giants announced this morning that starting quarterback Daniel Jones has been ruled out for Monday’s game against the Eagles. This means Eli Manning will get the start for New York.

We heard rumblings earlier this week that Manning could get the start for the Giants. Jones was continuing to recover from a mild high-ankle sprain, and the injury was expected to knock the rookie out of the lineup.

So in comes Manning, who will get his (presumable) farewell tour with the organization. It was clear that the 38-year-old’s time with the organization was coming to an end when they selected Jones with the sixth-overall pick in this past year’s draft. The veteran got a pair of starts for the Giants before giving way to the 22-year-old, who has started the last 10 games.

Manning hasn’t seen the field since that Week 2 start against the Bills. Up to that point of the season, Manning had completed 62.9% of his passes for 556 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. However, in 2018, the 38-year-old raised his completion rate to a career-high 66%, and his 7.5 yards-per-attempt average was considerably higher than it was in the previous two seasons. He also dropped his interceptions total (11) to the lowest its been during his 14 seasons a full-time starter.

Manning will now have an opportunity to show teams that he’s still capable of playing in the NFL. The veteran says he plans on playing through at least the 2020 season, but it’s unlikely to be with the Giants. His $23.2MM salary limited his trade appeal this year – and Manning wouldn’t have waived his no-trade clause, anyway – but there figure to be many QB-needy teams speaking with the future Hall of Famer in March.

Jones won’t be the only Giants player missing Monday’s game. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets that tight ends Evan Engram (foot) and Rhett Ellison (concussion), as well as cornerback Corey Ballentine (concussion), have also been ruled out.

Giants Likely To Start Eli Manning

December 4th, 2019 at 10:42am CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Eli Manning is back in the saddle as the Giants’ starting quarterback. At least, for one game. On Wednesday morning, head coach Pat Shurmur told reporters that Daniel Jones is in a walking boot with a mild high-ankle sprain, which means Manning will “very likely” start on Monday night against the Eagles.

The Giants’ season is effectively over, but this will serve as an opportunity for the G-Men to bid farewell to their longtime star. And, for Manning, this will be a chance to show the rest of the NFL that he’s still a capable QB.

Manning says he plans on playing through at least the 2020 season, but it’s unlikely to be with the Giants. After calling New York home for 16 years, Manning will hit the open market in search of his next team.

In 2018, the 38-year-old raised his completion rate to a career-high 66% and his 7.5 yards-per-attempt average was considerably higher than it was in the previous two seasons. He also dropped his interceptions total (11) to the lowest its been during his 14 seasons a full-time starter.

His $23.2MM salary limited his trade appeal this year – and Manning wouldn’t have waived his no-trade clause, anyway – but there figure to be many QB-needy teams speaking with the future Hall of Famer in March.

Giants Tried To Trade Up For DE Josh Allen

September 22nd, 2019 at 11:34am CST by Rory Parks

Giants GM Dave Gettleman‘s oft-scrutinized decision to select Duke QB Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft is about to be put to the test, as Jones will make his first career start when Big Blue takes on the Buccaneers this afternoon. Although Jones’ performance in camp and the preseason helped to quiet the criticism a bit, it’s probably not an overstatement to say that Gettleman’s career with the Giants is riding on Jones’ right arm.

Many pundits expected the Giants to select Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen with the No. 6 pick, and when Gettleman went with Jones, the Jaguars scooped Allen up one pick later. Several days after the draft, Gettleman described the decision to bypass Allen as “agonizing.” He said, “I agonized over that. I agonized. Before the draft, we discussed that thoroughly as a group — first last Friday, then again Wednesday. Obviously we had great regard for Josh Allen. But the one thing I have learned is you don’t fool around with a quarterback. If he’s your guy, you take him.”

In fact, Gettleman was so enamored with Allen that he tried to trade back up with the Jaguars to get him, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (video link). The Giants were also armed with the No. 17 overall pick, so they may have had enough ammo to pull off such a deal, but Jacksonville wasn’t interested in passing up a talent like Allen.

Gettleman indicated post-draft that he knew of at least two teams that would have taken Jones before New York was back on the clock with the No. 17 selection, and Rapoport confirms that was the case (Twitter link). We heard earlier that the Giants also tried to trade up with Denver for the No. 10 overall selection, but they ultimately held onto the No. 17 pick and drafted DT Dexter Lawrence. Gettleman finally achieved a trade-up when he dealt pick nos. 37, 132, and 142 to Seattle in exchange for the No. 30 pick, which he used to draft CB Deandre Baker.

If Jones becomes a franchise signal-caller, this will all become little more than an interesting footnote. Allen, though, is living up to the hype thus far, having posted two sacks and seven pressures in the first two games of his career.

Giants To Bench Eli Manning, Start Daniel Jones

September 17th, 2019 at 9:13am CST by Zachary Links

It’s happening. On Monday morning, the Giants announced that they will bench quarterback Eli Manning in favor of rookie Daniel Jones for the upcoming week.

Many expected the baton to be passed at some point in 2019, but few saw it happening this soon. After Manning’s latest rocky outing, coach Pat Shurmur & Co. have given him the hook.

“He’s been our starter to this point, and I don’t want to talk about anything else moving forward from that standpoint,” Shurmur said earlier this week, when asked about Manning and Jones. “I’m not ready to discuss that.”

Manning has been the Giants’ starter for most of the last 16 seasons. In that span, he captured nearly every franchise record for QBs, not to mention two Super Bowl rings.

The Giants also briefly benched Manning in 2017, but they bailed on that quickly after fans revolted. This time around, fans might be a little bit more understanding – the Giants are 0-2 heading into this week’s game against the Bucs and they are years removed from their glory days.

The Giants’ selection of Jones in the Top 10 was a source of controversy, but the rookie rewards their confidence with a strong showing in the preseason. In exhibition action, he completed 85.3% of his passes, threw for 416 yards, plus two passing TDs against zero interceptions. He also saw some action down the stretch of the Giants’ Week 1 loss to the Cowboys, though his sole drive ended with a lost fumble.

Now, Jones will be tasked with manning the QB position while the Giants fight to turn things around in 2019.

Pat Shurmur Non-Committal On Giants’ Week 3 Starting QB

September 16th, 2019 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eli Manning era may be on the verge of concluding in New York. After saying Sunday the prospect of Daniel Jones taking over at quarterback was not a conversation he was ready to have, Giants coach Pat Shurmur said (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY) “it’s fair” to have it now.

“He’s been our starter to this point. I’m not ready to talk about that,” Shurmur said of the Giants’ QB1 job Monday, via NFL.com’s Kimberly Jones (on Twitter).

He has not named his starter for Week 3 against the Buccaneers, inviting obvious speculation the 0-2 Giants will turn to Jones this week. The franchise’s previous plan was to start Manning while the team was still contending for the playoffs, but with the Giants opening the season with back-to-back losses by double digits, the organizational tone may be shifting.

Stripped of his top two wide receivers, Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate, Manning struggled against the Bills’ high-end defense. The Giants opened the season with a 35-17 loss to the Cowboys. New York’s defense, which did not get the Josh Allen reinforcement at edge defender Dave Gettleman strongly considered, ranks 29th in points and 28th in yards through two games.

Shurmur added he will certainly be “in the middle of” the team’s decision-making process on Manning, attempting to halt speculation this decision wouldn’t be his to make. Gettleman has said in the past Shurmur will make the call. Predecessor Ben McAdoo benched Manning for a December 2017 game and was fired, along with GM Jerry Reese. Manning has started every Giants game since, upping his career start total to 232 — seventh-most in NFL history by a quarterback.