Daniel Jones was lined up as a safety on the Giants defensive scout team at the start of Thursday's practice.
Days after the $160 million quarterback was demoted from starter to third or fourth stringer, Jones was paired with quarterback Tim Boyle on the practice squad for individual passing drills. .
Once that period was over, Jones donned the red pinnies and joined the scout team on defense during the offensive line's defensive period.
It's not uncommon for offensive players who don't play on Sundays to lend a hand at a walking or jogging pace in such situations, but it's unusual for a $160 million investment to be reduced to that role.
There's an awkward dynamic at practice right now because the Giants don't want to risk Jones getting injured. His contract includes $23 million in injury guarantees, which would apply if he fails a medical by March 12, which would reduce Jones' dead salary cap charge to $22.2 million. The amount will be increased from $45.2 million to $45.2 million.
So during Wednesday's practice, Jones was actually fourth behind new starter Tommy DeVito, veteran backup Drew Lock and Boyle. Head coach Brian Daboll said the order of reps is not indicative of the depth chart.
“Those guys are pulling back,” Daboll said.
Jones spoke to the media for the first time since being benched after practice.
Lock leads the scout team's offense as the No. 2 quarterback. Surprisingly, when Jones went to the bench, he was passed on for former third-stringer DeVito.
