Daniel Jones embracing likely last chance to make Giants fans believers again

Daniel Jones smiles often and not only when he is pleased or happy or finds something funny. The corners of his mouth turn up when he hears a question he does not want to answer or is confronted with a topic that he prefers not to consider.

It is less an actual smile and more a combination of grimace, rictus and sheepish grin all rolled into one.

How did it make you feel, confirmed for all to see on “Hard Knocks,” that the Giants tried to trade up in the NFL draft to get a quarterback — your eventual replacement?

Jones’ facial expression: Awkward smile before responding.

When co-owner John Mara a while back said, “We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up,” how did that make you feel?

Jones’ facial expression: Uncomfortable smile before responding.

So it went the other day, when he was asked to think back on one of his most memorable and rare career moments: New Year’s Day, 2023.

The first-year head coach, Brian Daboll, removed his quarterback in the closing minutes of a 38-10 rout of the Colts, a victory that clinched the first playoff berth for the franchise since 2016.

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Jones had fired two touchdown passes, run for two more touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards, a virtuoso performance that prompted the success-starved fans at MetLife Stadium to chant “Dan-iel Jones, Dan-iel Jones!” and then, euphorically, “MVP … MVP!” as he jogged triumphantly off the field and into an embrace by Saquon Barkley, who told Jones “I love you” as the crowd roared its approval.

“He deserved it,” Daboll said at the time about the curtain call.

This seems and feels like so long ago, a snippet from some alternate universe where up is down, hot is cold, fast is slow and Daniel Jones is a winner, beloved by the Giants fan base.

The next week, Jones starred as the Giants went on the road to Minneapolis and beat the Vikings, the first playoff triumph for the franchise since 2011.

The home-field love-fest a week prior, though, remains Jones’ most vibrant and endearing career highlight.

So much has gone on since then and from a football standpoint almost none of it has generated positive vibes.

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Does he ever hearken back to that day, when he ushered in a new year in such magnificent fashion?

On cue, that uncertain Daniel Jones smile.

“No, I haven’t really gone back and watched that but, yeah, I think certainly that was a special moment,” Jones told The Post while sitting at his locker. “We did a lot of great things with that team but I think right now it’s about what we’re doing here and focusing on 2024 being the best team we can be now.”

That is Daniel Jones. He is entering his sixth season with the Giants and during that span he has barely let those on the outside peek into the window of his inner self.

There has to be more there, right? Whatever there is, he keeps it deeply under wraps.

The instant success for the new regime of Joe Schoen and Daboll and the potential Jones showed in 2022 made it sensible to commit to him at quarterback for the next two years.

That is what the Giants did, with this caveat: They could get out of Jones’ four-year, $160 million contract after the 2024 season.

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Since signing that deal, Jones has played in six games. He missed three games in 2023 with a neck injury and then went down and out in Week 9 to a torn right ACL.

He worked like a demon to get back, singling out as being “grateful and appreciative” to Ronnie Barnes (senior vice president of medical services), Leigh Weiss (director of rehab/physical therapist), Phil Buzzerio (assistant athletic trainer), “the whole training staff,” Dr. Scott Rodeo (who performed the surgery) and Aaron Wellman (strength and conditioning coach) for getting him back to where there are no traces, other than the long black sleeve he wears on his right leg, that his knee needed to be reconstructed.

“I’m gonna do it, I have to do it,” Jones said. “And it’s their job to do it but they didn’t have to work as hard as they did. They put in a ton of time and effort into helping me get back and I’m very grateful for that.”

If Jones cannot get it done this season, the Giants will likely move on from him.

For now, he is thrilled to be back, gearing up to start another season opener — Sunday at home against the Vikings.

“You miss all of it,” Jones said. “You miss being a part of the preparation, going through practice, game-planning, obviously going out on the field is the culmination of all that, that’s what you enjoy most, being out there with your teammates. And winning. When you’re back in the locker room celebrating, that’s what you’re working for. I missed it a lot. Feels good to be back out there.”

There will be opportunities for Jones to create memories and coax cheers from a fan base that is, to be kind, dubious that he can do it.

He has heard his name chanted before, though, so anything is possible.

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