Transcript: Quarterback Daniel Jones

Quarterback Daniel Jones

July 24, 2024

Q: How did it feel to be back out there?

DANIEL JONES: It felt good to be back out there. Playing 11-on-11. I thought for the most part it went well. A couple of plays here and there, but for the most part, we kept the ball moving forward and stayed out of negative plays. The first day, we are all getting our feet underneath us, so build on it and go from there.

Q: Any uncertainty when you had to move around a little bit?

DANIEL JONES: No, I felt good doing that. That is all stuff I've, at this point, practiced a lot, repped a lot in drills, and has been a big part of my rehab. So, I felt good doing all that stuff.

Q: You mentioned 'no negative plays'. How much of that is a priority? Because obviously there is a balance between trying to get the ball downfield and trying to make sure you get the ball out, so you don't have those negative plays.

DANIEL JONES: I think it is always a balance. We want to get the ball downfield and make big plays, but another big focus of ours is getting the ball out quickly and getting the ball in space, avoiding sacks, avoiding going backwards, and staying in good down-and-distance situations that help us execute. I think that is something we've stressed. Playing quarterback is about making a good decision and getting the ball out quickly.

Q: When you think back to the injury, surgery and where you are now, this is about as quick it can happen really. So, what did this mean to you to be on the field getting all the first team reps? It doesn't always happen this way.

DANIEL JONES: I expected to be here. I expected the process to go smoothly and well because we have good doctors, (athletic) trainers, and strength coaches and a clear plan from the get-go. It is definitely good to be here. I'm grateful to be out there and grateful to all the people who have helped me get to this point—still, a lot of work to do across the board. I will continue to rehab and focus on my knee, but also, from a football standpoint, getting back into 11-on-11 and playing football. Yeah, I'm grateful to be here, but it was kind of the plan all along, and I certainly expected to be here.

Q: In rehab, you can't replicate Dexter Lawrence pushing offensive lineman back in your lap. When that happened, how did your knee feel? Did you think about it at all? Did you just react naturally?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, I didn't think about it, just naturally. But some of those things are hard to mimic in a practice situation. So being out in 11-on-11 is important to get those reps. And the speed of the game is a little bit faster, getting back used to some of that stuff and reacting and seeing a defense moving, seeing defenders through zones, and seeing your guys. So, all that stuff is different and hard to mimic in a rehab or a practice setting in the offseason. It's good to be back out there, and I expect to keep getting better.

Q: Are you confident you'll be able to run as much and as well as you have in the past?

DANIEL JONES: I am, yeah, very confident.

Q: When you got hurt, people look back on Saquon (Barkley), and they thought about how long it took him to regain where he was. Did you have any doubt of that? I mean, are you still uncertain that you'll be the same? It won't take an adjustment period?

DANIEL JONES: No, I'm confident I'll be the same. I think every knee injury is different. Every position is different. Every case is a little bit different. So, you take input, hear about other people's experiences, and try to use that to help you guide your own rehab. But in terms of my process and how it's been for me, it's been smooth, and I feel like I'll be back to where I was, if not better.

Q: On the hard knocks last night, (General Manager) Joe Schoen recounted his conversation with you, you know, before the draft process about, 'You're going to see quarterbacks in the building,' 'You're going to go through this' and everything. What do you remember about that conversation?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, essentially what he said in that piece in the Hard Knocks, we had that conversation then, and that's about how it went.

Q: And how did that make you feel?

DANIEL JONES: You're not excited about it, but they have a job to do; I got a job to do. You know, it is what it is, and we're at this point now, so I'm grateful for the opportunity and excited to play football. That's my focus now, but it's not a fun conversation.

Q: So does that put a chip on your shoulder? Does that give you a little extra motivation when everything that's happened this offseason, you saw Hard Knocks so you know all about it. Does that kind of put a little chip on your shoulder?

DANIEL JONES: However, you want to call it, the motivation or the drive. I've always been motivated and driven to work harder than or as hard as I possibly can, and that's always been my mindset and my approach. So, I'm going to continue to do that. I'm going to continue to work hard and play for my teammates, play for myself, play for everyone. I'm excited to do that.

Q: How much, considering what happened this offseason, do you say, 'Okay, I need to play well this year' or 'My future is kind of dependent on this year and how I play'?

DANIEL JONES: I'm focused on playing as well as I can every year and every situation, and like I said, my teammates and making sure we're as successful as we can be. I'm confident in this group, confident in where we can be. I think we've added some good pieces, and we'll be a good football team. So, playing this position, playing in the NFL, there are always expectations, but we have high expectations of ourselves, and we expect a lot from our offense and from our team.

Q: We did see one drop from (Wide Receiver Malik) Nabers today, which is unusual. Where is your chemistry with the rookie?

DANIEL JONES: It's been good. We spent some good time this summer together. It's the first day, and he made some plays, you haven't seen that (drops) much, but he'll be a big time for us. He's played well, played well in the spring, and it has been good to be with him this summer. I'm sure he'll have a good camp. So, we'll continue to grow and build chemistry, and the more time out there together, the better.

Q: This season you guys have added a bunch of new parts, a bunch of new pieces. Is there an emphasis on finding an identity at least an offensive identity for this upcoming season?

DANIEL JONES: I think that's always a big part of camp. What do we do well, or what do we do not as well? How can we emphasize our strengths and play to that? You're always working to figure that out, which will be a process throughout camp. But, as I said, I'm excited about where we're going. I'm excited about who we have, and we'll grow, build chemistry, and continue to develop.

Q: A couple of your projected starting offensive lineman are down right now. For you as the quarterback, how big of a deal is it to get your front five set to make sure that your adequately protected?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, I think that's important. The chemistry of those guys together, playing together, getting on the same page, communicating, me communicating with them, and them communicating with me is important. Injuries are part of the game, and I understand that, but obviously, you want to stay as healthy as possible, and the health of that group can help everybody. So that's important, but I know those guys are working hard to get back.

Q: What are the differences you have seen with (Offensive Line Coach) Carmen (Bricillo)?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, he's done a good job. It's been fun working with him. He obviously has deep roots in (Head Coach Brian) Daboll's system and where he comes from, so that's been good. Starting at square one and building it back up through the spring. But he's a good communicator and a good teacher, and I've enjoyed working with him.

Q: What do you look at when you look at last season and your offense? And specifically, how you played? What do you look forward to changing this season in that regard?

DANIEL JONES: Overall, not consistent enough. Obviously, the injuries affected that, and you'd love to have more opportunities and more time on the field, but it wasn't consistent enough. I am continuing to focus on getting the ball out of my hands quicker, getting it in our playmakers' hands, and letting them go to work. I think we'll all be better together and I'm excited about where we're going.