New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has missed each of the past two games with a neck injury and will sit out again on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
There is some speculation brewing that Jones will eventually be shut down for the year despite head coach Joe Judge’s denials. Even several of Jones’ teammates fear he’s done for the season.
Although Judge’s primary concern is for the health of the player, he admits that Jones is missing out on valuable developmental time.
“I think he’s missing experience and an opportunity to grow. That’s really nothing of his fault at all. Just as any young player in this league, every rep you take is an experience you learn from,” Judge told reporters on Wednesday. “One thing I can say for Daniel is really as you watch him throughout his young career, there’s been a lot of things that have really demonstrated growth. There have there been times where he has made mistakes on the field that he’s shown decisions later on to make sure he doesn’t repeat that mistake.
“There are things he’s picked up in terms of management of the game or how to handle something at the line of scrimmage that he’s carried forward. Daniel has done a good job working, preparing and growing throughout his career. I think the biggest thing he’s missing out is just that experience and the opportunity to grow within a craft.”
Statistically, Jones didn’t make that “Year 3 leap” so many were expecting and even demanding of him. That calls into questions Jones’ viability moving forward, but Judge seem committed.
“I feel good about Daniel already. I want him to keep growing and developing his craft,” Judge added. “Obviously, he’s a great asset to our team. You want to have him available to play with the team. That’s obviously something that we’re not keeping secret. There’s not really much more to say past that. Daniel’s done a good job growing for us. We’re going to keep on pushing forward with him.”
We’ll see how things play out this offseason but with the incoming quarterback class less than inspiring, it would appear Jones will get at least one more year in East Rutherford.
