Getty One Giants insider hinted at quarterback Daniel Jones' chances of playing in Week 6 vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite suffering a concussion on Sunday, October 3 vs. the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones appears to be trending towards playing in Week 6.
Jones participated in non-contact drills during practice on Thursday, October 14, sporting his typical red jersey and throwing passes to his receivers.
This comes as a bit of a surprise, as Jones is progressing quicker than anticipated. Although it seemed like he was destined to miss Sunday’s contest vs. the Los Angeles Rams, one beat writer believes he will be active based off the strides he has taken during the week.
As Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com tweeted this afternoon, he’d be “surprised” if Jones doesn’t play.
Daniel Jones throwing the ball during drills at the start of practice, to Collin Johnson and Kadarius Toney here.
At this point, I’d be surprised if Jones didn’t start on Sunday. #Giants
According to Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post, this is also the “quickest” he has seen anyone progress through the concussion protocol, which is a promising sign.
Head coach Joe Judge was asked by reporters about Jones’ chances of playing this week to which he replied, “At this point everything looks positive.”
But not so fast, while all looks well regarding Jones’ probability of suiting up against the Rams, there are still a few more obstacles for him to clear.
The last step for Jones is to get cleared by an independent third-party neurologist, as Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record noted.
While the Giants appear to be optimistic about Jones’ status, they cannot provide much else due to the final determination being reliant on an outside party.
If Jones can’t go, Mike Glennon will make his first start since Week 16 of 2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Glennon took over for Jones late in the first half against the Cowboys on Sunday and went 16-of-25 for 196 yards, with one touchdown pass and two interceptions.
Glennon’s last victory as a starting quarterback in the NFL came back in Week 3 of the 2017 season.
Offensive Boost
Although the Giants are set to be without starting running back Saquon Barkley (ankle sprain) and No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Golladay (knee) this week, they could be getting two other important weapons back in their lineup.
Wideouts Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton have both missed the last two games with hamstring injuries. But luckily, they appear to be close to returning.
According to head coach Joe Judge, he is “optimistic” that this duo will be able to play on Sunday against the Rams.
Shepard is one of Jones’ favorite targets, especially on third down. Through the first three weeks of the season, Shepard hauled in 18 receptions for 223 yards and one touchdown.
As for Slayton, while he has become one of Jones’ best deep ball connections, he struggles with drops at times. Prior to his injury, Slayton had seven catches for 127 yards and one touchdown.
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Additional Injuries
The Giants are also expected to have starting safety Jabrill Peppers back this week as well.
Peppers missed his team’s contest against the Cowboys with a hamstring injury. But as Pat Leonard of The New York Daily News reported on Wednesday, October 13, Peppers came off the practice field and told general manager Dave Gettleman that he is healthy and ready to go.
Jabrill Peppers walking off the practice field. Dave Gettleman: “you ready?” Peppers: “I was ready to go last Sunday!” #Giants 😂
This is a good sign for the Giants after their defense was gashed up by the Cowboys in Week 5.
On the other side of the ball, left tackle Andrew Thomas’ status is still unknown. Thomas is dealing with a foot injury and despite being active vs. Dallas, he did not record a snap.
Thomas and left guard Matt Skura (knee) both worked on the side on Wednesday and participated in the open portion of Thursday’s practice. However, Thomas’ workload still looked to be light, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Without Thomas, Nate Solder started at left tackle with Matt Peart sliding in on the right side against Dallas. Peart was seen taking reps at left tackle during Thursday’s practice, which could indicate a position flip against the Rams.