Giants’ Daniel Jones: ‘His knee felt really good’ in return from injury vs. Texans | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats and Rumors

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones said his “knee felt really good” in Saturday’s preseason loss to the Houston Texans, which marked his first game back since tearing his ACL in November.

“I feel good physically. My knee feels really good,” Jones said, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. “I’m excited to be out there. I’m grateful for everyone who helped me get here. All the doctors, trainers and staff that helped me. It was fun to be out there.”

Jones threw two interceptions in the first quarter of the 28-10 loss, including one interception in six attempts. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 138 yards, while adding 12 yards on a run.

Jones was playing in his first game since tearing his right ACL while maneuvering to throw a pass during a Nov. 5 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Giants quarterback then underwent surgery on Nov. 22, which Raanan said would require between eight and 10 months of recovery.

A 10-month recovery time would have put Jones on track to miss not only training camp and the entire preseason, but also the first two games of the regular season.

Fortunately for the Giants, who plan to rely on the quarterback they signed to a four-year, $160 million contract last year, Jones told reporters Thursday he was “confident” his knee could hold up against the Texans.

“I don’t think I’ll be thinking about my knee a lot,” Jones said, via Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic. “I think I’ve tested it in practice, I’ve tested it in my rehab and my workouts and I feel like it’s in good shape, so I think I’m confident that my knee will be ready to go, it’s not something I’m thinking about.”

While having the quarterback available for preseason action is the best-case scenario for the Giants’ current roster, the two interceptions — which Jones called the result of a “bad decision and a bad throw” — marked a troubling start for a team that has indicated the 2024 season will be a make-or-break campaign for Jones.

On the plus side, Jones took few hits, no sacks and apparently didn’t suffer any knee soreness, so the Giants can potentially give the quarterback another chance to participate in preseason action next Saturday against the New York Giants.