New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks to throw in the first half. The Giants defeat the Eagles, 13-7, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, in East Rutherford.

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Giants QB Daniel Jones (neck) cleared for offseason program

There will be no limitations on what quarterback Daniel Jones can do as the New York Giants begin their offseason workout program Monday.

Jones told reporters he was “cleared and ready to go” with the Giants after a neck injury cut short his 2021 season.

Jones only played 11 games for New York in 2021, his third NFL season, before the injury sidelined him and eventually got him placed on injured reserve. In those 11 games (all starts), Jones threw for 2,248 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a career-best 64.3 completion percentage.

He also fumbled seven times, and the Giants went just 4-7 in those games.

The Giants are under new management, with GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll opting to bring in veteran Tyrod Taylor at the position. Jones remains the starter for now.

“I’m excited. I’m excited to get going here. I appreciate the support,” he said. “But it’s my job to do my role, to prepare this team, to prepare myself to play as well as I can and put this team in position to win games. So I take that responsibility very seriously and that is what I’m focused on.”

Jones has yet to play a full season in the NFL, missing time each season with injuries while playing behind a much-maligned offensive line. Owner John Mara admitted this winter that the Giants had “done everything we can to screw (Jones) up since he’s been here.”

Soon New York will need to choose whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Jones’ rookie contract for 2023. That would be worth a costly $22.4 million.

“We’ll do that when it comes up,” Jones said Monday. “But I’m focused on what we’re doing here and preparing and taking advantage of every day we have here together.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 24, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants owner John Mara (right) looks on with general manager Dave Gettleman (left) before the game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Owner: Giants ‘kept getting worse, need to start from ground up’

John Mara plans to take his sweet time selecting the new hierarchy of the New York Giants.

Mara said he was gutted to fire head coach Joe Judge after two seasons, the same fate his two predecessors experienced in New York, but felt he was left no choice but to start over.

“I kept thinking we had hit rock bottom,” said Mara, the team’s president and co-owner along with Steve Tisch. “And then each week it got a little worse.”

Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was fired during the season, running back Saquon Barkley battled injuries again and purported franchise quarterback Daniel Jones was shut down with a neck injury in December.

The long, slow fade leaves the Giants at what Mara said has to be the lowest point experienced on his watch.

He said his current search for a new coach and general manager will be tedious. Rushing the process and decision in the past didn’t serve the franchise or its fans well, he said.

Mara plans to first find a general manager to help steer the hunt for the right head coach. Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen interviewed with the team Wednesday via teleconference.

“We need to start from the ground up again,” Mara said.

Mara and Tisch are set to hire their fourth head coach since 2016 — Judge, Pat Shurmur, Ben McAdoo — and the Giants went 4-13 in 2021. The roster includes to-be-determined notations at many positions as of the retirement of general manager Dave Gettleman on Monday.

All of the losses and uncertainty created a fanbase short on patience and trust. Mara said he grasps that he hasn’t given fans a reason to believe the Giants will get it right, and senses the franchise has a bridge to rebuild with fans.

“That’s not going to happen overnight,” he said.

–Field Level Media