The New York Giants will host the Carolina Panthers this Friday night at MetLife Stadium in their second of three preseason games here in 2023.
Quarterback Daniel Jones may or may not play in this game as head coach Brian Daboll has not made any announcements on if his starters will play — or how much they could play — in this game.
“I’m always preparing to play,” said Jones on Tuesday. “That’s obviously Dabes’ call. I think we’re all preparing to play, and he’ll make a decision on that. Like you said, he’s told us we’re going to play in the preseason, so to prepare and get ready to do that.”
And if he does, Jones will be facing the team he rooted for as a boy growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I grew up a Panthers fan growing up in Charlotte and watching those teams when I was a kid, so yeah, there’s something a little bit special playing the hometown team,” he said. “I’m excited. I think we’re all getting ready for the opportunity.”
Jones admitted he dreamed one day he would play for the Panthers.
“As a kid, yeah, you dream about playing for your favorite team. I think that’s definitely something I dreamed about,” he said.
That chance will have to wait after Jones just signed a lucrative four-year extension with the Giants this past March. As a Giant, Jones knows he has increased opportunities to make money outside of football (see: Eli Manning).
One opportunity he didn’t take was to appear on the Netflix show “Quarterback,” a documentary series about the life of NFL quarterbacks, which featured Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota last year.
Jones, who is well-known for his reserved demeanor and nature, was asked why he turned down the opportunity to appear on the show.
“I don’t know, I think they did a great job with the show. I thought it was interesting watching those guys and watching each of their stories. I thought they did a really good job with the show,” he said. “Just not necessarily for me.”
