For Daniel Jones, building his future with the Giants after this season will be a battle.
Judging by the situation on Monday morning, Jones will likely step up to the plate and swing instead.
He’s going to fight for that.
That’s a good thing. For a 27-year-old quarterback. For an offense that has to work hard to prove it’s not a dead horse anymore. For a team that has to work hard to win games and convince a legion of naysayers that it can accomplish something this season.
Jones, not following standard procedure employed by most quarterbacks, found himself embroiled in a brawl during the second-team period of a heated joint practice with the Lions at the Giants’ training camp facility. After a running play to Devin Singletary, veteran center Greg Van Roten was taken to the ground and prevented from getting up off the turf by Lions defensive lineman Kyle Peco. Guard John Runyan Jr. saw what was happening and approached. Jones did not back down, refusing to let the bigger players get in a fight. Jones stood tall and shoved Peco away with a far-from-play shove.
Soon after, quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney took to the field to eject Jones.
“When these situations come up, you try to stand up for your guys,” Jones said after the game.
Sure, Jones, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs a muscular 230 pounds, is never going to get sand kicked in his face on the beach. But he will take to the field in a red “no contact” jersey — traditional quarterback attire — and that usually means its wearer will stay out when an altercation breaks out.
“I don’t think it should be that way,” Jones said. “He’s my teammate and I’m going to defend him just like he defended me.”
Despite Jones’ many missteps during his five years with the Giants, it’s easy to understand why he’s popular among his teammates — he is one of them — and rookies will quickly discover that the starting quarterback also happens to be the most dedicated player on the team.
“Yeah, that’s the way it is,” Singletary said of Jones being in the middle of an altercation during his first summer with the Giants. “You’ve got to support your brother there. That’s what we’re all about.”
Outside linebacker Brian Barnes, another new Giants addition, was taking on the Lions offense on the next field — where fireworks were also going off — when Jones burst in. Barnes was surprised but not shocked.
“Oh, God. Daniel was stuck with it,” Barnes said. “Was Daniel out with it? Yeah. You’ve got to have him backed up. Let’s let his offensive line do it. But Daniel’s competitive. He’s a fighter. So I don’t expect anything less from him. But he doesn’t need that. He doesn’t need to get hit. Keep him healthy.”
By all accounts, Brian Daboll stung the team’s nerves in a pre-practice team meeting, encouraging them to go out there and compete at a high level and not take anything from the Lions. Remember, the two teams practiced together last year in Allen Park, Michigan, and the Giants were completely dominated in the first session.
“He’s definitely brought the momentum,” Singletary said. “You can always feel his energy, but he’s definitely brought the momentum.”
It was not a call to fight, but a call to take up arms.
“He just wants us to be ourselves,” tight end Daniel Bellinger said. “He believes in ‘staying good friends,’ and he wants us to go out on the court and be good friends and compete like good friends.”
It’s no wonder that several coaches showed off black T-shirts with DAWG emblazoned across the front.
It’s easy to push and shove and argue. Jones and the offense needed to show their rebuilt line and new weapons in rookie Malik Neighbors could thrive against a Lions team that narrowly missed making a Super Bowl appearance in 2023.
On the first 11-on-11, Jones threw his first pass to Darius Slayton on a crossing route. Jones found rookie tight end Theo Johnson for a big gain. The screen to Singletary was executed sharply. Neighbors, closing in on safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, caught the pass in the right corner of the end zone, but the officials ruled Neighbors’ left foot was on the line. Neighbors then beat cornerback Carlton Davis down the right sideline.
When defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike tipped a pass into Jones’ hands, sending the ball soaring into the air, Daboll became enraged. He said it was unacceptable to get so close to the quarterback and angrily reprimanded the Lions player.
Jones said he was “grateful” for Daboll’s defense.
On the next play, Jones successfully shoved a Lions defensive lineman aside. The fight was on.
