Giants quarterback Daniel Jones revealed on Thursday that he underwent a “non-football related procedure” on his neck “early in the winter.”
Jones said the previously undisclosed surgery was “completely unrelated” to the “neck strain” that prematurely ended his 2021 NFL season after a Week 12 injury in Philadelphia.
A small scar at the bottom of Jones’ neck, in a photo circulated on social media, prompted a question about whether he’d had surgery to correct last season’s injury.
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t at all,” he said. “I had a non-football related procedure done on my neck. I saw there was some [speculation] about it [online]. But it was completely unrelated. I feel good. Neck’s great.”
Jones added that the surgery happened “early in the winter” and reiterated that it was “unrelated” to last season’s injury. The press conference was cut off at that point, and he took no more questions on the topic.
It’s unheard of nowadays for an NFL team to successfully keep a surgery to its starting quarterback under wraps. This story isn’t over, though.
Understanding the exact nature of the procedure is important. Any potential health issue that required surgery on Jones’ neck is relevant, if not possibly concerning.
NOT QUITE THERE
Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey said Kadarius Toney isn’t in the mix for kick or punt returners at the moment because he isn’t on the field.
“Well, he hasn’t done a lot of anything right now,” McGaughey said. “As soon as he gets back on the field, he’ll be pushed right back into the mix. It’s just a matter of him getting healed up and get to where he can just function as a football player.”
Toney sat out 11-on-11 again Thursday, meaning he has failed to participate fully in eight of the Giants’ 15 practices this summer.
O-LINE TAKING A BEATING
Center Ben Bredeson left Thursday’s practice with an apparent right arm injury while filling in for injured top center Jon Feliciano. Left guard Max Garcia, filling in for injured starter Shane Lemieux (foot), finished practice snapping to Daniel Jones with backup tackle Devery Henderson at left guard. The Giants are decimated by injuries as a team, including on the line, where they’ve lost tackles Korey Cunningham (released), Matt Gono (released), Marcus McKethan (IR), Lemieux, guard Jamil Douglas (ankle) and Feliciano (undisclosed) since the start of camp. Reserve guard Garrett McGhinn was even slow to get up on the final snap of the day. Feliciano did individual drills but not team drills. Douglas continues to rehab on the side.
At other positions, promising rookie defensive lineman Ryder Anderson hurt his left foot or ankle but got it taped and returned to finish practice. … Linebacker Blake Martinez was on the field, doing limited work, for the first time since Aug. 8. … Corner Aaron Robinson was down for a while and left the field after a collision with Kenny Golladay on an incompletion, but it appeared Robinson may have just been hit below the belt.
PRACTICE NOTES
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said the defense purposefully played more “front-and-coverage” on Thursday, with less aggressiveness and blitzing, to work on their technique. …
Jones completed a 40 or 50-yard pass to Golladay down the left sideline, Golladay’s third catch of practice and Jones’ deepest completion of camp. The QB then threw a near interception on the next play, intended for TE Daniel Bellinger, that LB Tae Crowder dropped. …
Wideout C.J. Board caught TDs from both Jones and Tyrod Taylor. David Sills had a couple good catches on Jones passes in his first full practice since Aug. 3. …
Rookie Jashaun Corbin received the bulk of the carries with the first-team offense with Saquon Barkley resting, Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell still limited, and Antonio Williams working in. …
Alex Bachman had a good day at receiver, including a TD catch from Taylor. Darius Slayton also hauled in a TD from Taylor. …
Martindale said the practice was going to be “noisy” because “the emphasis today is communicating well.” That was needed after a couple of low-energy practices to start the week. Sterling Shepard, still on the PUP list rehabbing, was loud and exuberant on the offense’s sideline. Shepard also looked great running routes with trainers, better than he has all camp. It seems like he’s getting closer coming off last season’s Achilles tear. …
McGaughey said Gillan was “the player of the game” on special teams in the preseason opener at New England. “His first punt was 52 yards, two yards from the boundary. You couldn’t walk down there and place it any better than that one,” he said. …
The Giants have one more practice Friday before Sunday night’s second preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium.
