Quarterback Daniel Jones
Q: How are you feeling?
A: Yeah, feeling better. Feeling better. Continuing to improve. Just trying to do what the doctors and trainers tell me to do.
Q: What is it that the doctors are saying, how do you go about rehabbing this?
A: Certainly, a fair amount of treatment and things you can do from a treatment standpoint and then certain exercises and range of motion exercises and things you can do to improve.
Q: How can you show them you're ready for contact? What's that process like?
A: I think it's just passing the tests and showing that I've improved to the point to where they feel comfortable putting me out there.
Q: Is there some sort of physical test that they put you through? Or is it just a scan?
A: There's a number of tests that they're looking to see improvement.
Q: Have you physically felt better since this happened week after week? Or isn't it that kind of progress?
A: Yeah, I feel a lot better than I did after the injury. Continue to improve week-by-week and day-by-day even. I'm feeling better and focused on continuing to do that.
Q: Do doctors ever say you're getting closer? Do they give you that type of feedback where there's optimism?
A: Yeah, for sure. I think I've gotten that more and more recently and I'll continue to do what I can to get back.
Q: How much more have you been able to do in terms of working? Working out in general and practice stuff?
A: A good bit. I can do pretty much everything. I can throw, I can run, I can lift. It's just a contact thing.
Q: Was there ever a time where from the start of this that they said rest is imperative for it and that there's this prescribed amount of weeks for the rest that will help in the long term?
A: I think rest was part of it early on. I think part of it – it was kind of a week-to-week thing from the get-go though, in terms of how they saw the improvement and how it went from there. That was kind of the approach but yeah, rest was a component at the beginning.
Q: Is the contact clearance thing about you telling them that you don't feel something anymore? What is the indicator that they would clear you for contact?
A: I mean, I think it's just tests. I feel good and from a pain level, I feel good. I don't have any pain and it's just passing a couple more tests.
Q: Are you symptom free?
A: I think there are still some symptoms there. I feel good –
Q: Do you have to tell them that you're symptom free before you get cleared?
A: I think there are certain symptoms that they're looking for and testing for, from a pain level and based on how I feel. I feel good and that's been the communication from that symptom standpoint.
Q: You're not symptom free?
A: There are certain things that I haven't done yet.
Q: Two years ago I think you were seeing a specialist, a spinal specialist in LA, did you have to do anything like that? Like go for a second opinion anywhere…
A: I haven't. I've been here in New York. I've gotten a couple of different opinions from doctors, but I've been here. We've got great doctors here in New York.
Q: What gives you optimism this time? Obviously, last time they had to shut you down, right? What gives you optimism this time that this is going to end differently?
A: It's a different injury. It's a different injury and I think when you see other guys that have similar situations as mine and they're able to progress and come back. I'm following a similar timeline to that. That's kind of the optimism and it's a different injury than last time.
Q: What players are you talking about that had similar injuries that came back?
A: There's been a number of – it's just a football injury. You know people in the past who have had it.
Q: Is it all the same treatment? Stim, ice, chiropractor, all that.
A: Yeah, I mean there are a number of different things you can do treatment wise that we do here with our trainers. Doing everything I possibly can to get back.
Q: Have the trainers and doctors shared with you what the risk would be if they put you on the football field and you did have contact? Especially in a certain area…
A: Yeah, they've shared that with me. I'm certainly trying as hard as I can to get back, but from the doctor's standpoint it's not something that he can clear me to do at this point so, trying to do everything I can to get back.
Q: This might be obvious, but do you have to be more sensitive because of the neck? It's not an ankle, it's not a shoulder, like is that part of this, where they have to be extra cautious?
A: I mean, I think any time you're talking about the neck you've got to understand the risk of reinjury and what would happen if you were to reinjure it so yeah, that's certainly a component of it.
Q: What have you seen from (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor)? What's that been like having to watch him?
A: I think he's played well. He played really well Sunday. It's been fun to watch him and pulling for him. Certainly not surprised with how he's played. It's been fun to watch him. Obviously, you want to be on the field, it's tough not being on the field but he's played great.
Q: Does it comfort you as you rehab, trying not to hurry, that (Head Coach Brian) Daboll's been clear that the job is yours when you're ready to get back?
A: I think I'm so focused on what I'm doing from a rehab standpoint and getting back as fast as I can and that's really been my focus.
