New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones missed the final six games of the 2021 season because of a mysterious neck injury that the team refused to elaborate on.
Initially, the injury was played off as minor. Each week, then-head coach Joe Judge seemed to indicate Jones had a chance of returning. But each week, those odds became longer.
On Dec. 20, Jones was placed on injured reserve, officially ending his season.
Fast forward to April, when Jones revealed that he would soon be cleared to practice.
“Yeah, I’ll be cleared and ready to go,” Jones told reporters as OTAs opened.
True to his word, Jones was ultimately cleared, and little more was made of the injury. He conducted offseason workouts with his teammates and participated in minicamp. He hasn’t missed any time since training camp opened in July.
However, during a post-practice press conference this week, there appeared to be a surgical scar on Jones’ lower neck.
Interesting. Did Daniel get neck surgery?!?! pic.twitter.com/c1MCKpPSUZ
— Tap Sackson (Don Keydik) (@TapJackson420) August 17, 2022
It turns out Jones did undergo a procedure last winter. But he suggests it had nothing to do with last year’s neck injury.
Rather, Jones claims, it was not related to football.
Daniel Jones was asked about the scar on his neck that has been seen in photos. He says it is from a “non-football” procedure he had done in early winter and was “absolutely not” related to the neck injury that kept him out final six games last year.
#Giants— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) August 18, 2022
Because of the tight-lipped nature regarding Jones’ injury, there’s no way to know how accurate that statement is. But it also doesn’t seem to matter. Jones has been healthy throughout camp and has missed only a single snap that generated buzz for non-injury-related reasons.
The scar resembles that of disk surgery or tracheostomy surgery, but that’s only speculative. Unless Jones reveals the nature of his injury and/or procedure, there’s no way to know.
Ultimately, however, it does not appear to have impacted his ability on the field, and he is slated to start Week 1.
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