With new beard and an edge, Daniel Jones back as Giants QB. How long will this last?

EAST RUTHERFORD - Perhaps the aura surrounding Daniel Jones this summer comes from the confidence he has in his surgically-repaired right knee. This newfound edge could be the result of the New York Giants ' very public quest to replace him as the quarterback of their future, if not the present, thanks to the "Hard Knocks" docu-series.

Or maybe it is the new beard after all.

Whatever the case may be, Jones is still the quarterback of the Giants, still a player with something to prove despite the $40 million the organization will deposit in his bank account for the 2024 season. He is trending toward getting his first game action in Saturday's preseason clash against the Texans in Houston since tearing his ACL on the final play of the first quarter against the Raiders in Las Vegas nine months ago.

Teammates and coaches have admired how Jones has attacked every day throughout his rehabilitation on the road to recovery: in practice, on the field, in meeting rooms, how he goes about his business, and no matter the noise surrounding his place on the team and what's next, he stays consistent in his approach.

As new running back Devin Singletary said of Jones: "You know a dawg when you see a dawg."

With a renewed confidence and that noticeable “dawg” quotient in his play and demeanor, Jones is back to lead this team. How long will this last? The margin is likely razor thin on all fronts, and whether Jones can get back to what stands as the ceiling of his six-year career to date - the playoff victory over the 13-win Vikings in Minnesota two seasons ago - remains to be seen. The Giants are certainly counting on a better version of Jones entering this year, and in reality, the hope is that comes in conjunction with an improved offensive line and a group of young playmakers that added electric rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers as the No. 6 overall pick in the draft.

Jones has taken every first team snap in practice since training camp began, all in 11-on-11 team drills save for a handful of 7-on-7 periods against the Detroit Lions in their two joint practices last week. He has endured his ups and downs throughout, reacclimating himself to the speed of the sessions, navigating the pocket against pressure, albeit without contact, and working on the timing with his receivers, dramatically improved on that front in three weeks.

With Brian Daboll calling the plays, the Giants want to be uber-aggressive. They want to push the football downfield, whether that's with vertical shots or crossing routes that rely on precision and creating space in the intermediate and deep levels of the field. Everything has to click for this to work, and, as usual, it starts with Jones.

"It's not a new me," Jones said with a laugh after practice Thursday when told his beard has caused a stir, leading many to wonder if he planned to shave any time soon.

The Giants did not draft a quarterback despite attempts to trade up for North Carolina's Drake Maye, who was selected by the Patriots at No. 3. Instead, Big Blue drafted Nabers, whose presence will give this offense another reason to believe it can drastically improve from last year, especially in the passing game.

For Jones, he will constantly be faced with the assertion he has already shown us his best. He's a gamer and tough as nails, and the Giants respect Jones for who he is and how hard he works. Team brass saw room to grow in his game coming off that banner 2022 campaign, but last year's struggles and injuries have called that into question.

There has been criticism of his processing, and whether Jones goes through his progressions fast enough to truly maximize an offense that was stuck in park for much of 2023. His ability as a runner and willingness to absorb contact downfield, sometimes to a fault, remains a mystery as to whether he can return to form until another team is in pursuit.

How will that affect him physically and mentally? So far, Jones is playing as if the injury never happened.

The biggest uncertainty lies in his health and what another injury would do to the reliability of his status once the red non-contact jersey comes off his back.

He got the team to rally around his feistiness against the Lions when, after a Detroit defensive lineman refused to let teammate Greg Van Roten off the ground, Jones rushed toward the pile seemingly ready for a fight.

"Here's what I'll say about that: I'd want Daniel Jones on my team any day of the week," Giants passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney said. "Sticking up for his guy - yeah, we don't want him running in there into fights and all that - but sticking up for his guy and being there to have your teammate's back is definitely something we want, and I'd take Daniel Jones any day."

The talk has been about what will happen if Jones fails and where the Giants will go next year at the position.

It's worth also wondering how good the Giants can be if Jones makes everyone forget about how poorly he played last season by raising his game once again.

Asked about his lack of shaving by host Kay Adams on her "Up and Adams" show, Jones quipped with a laugh: "I think it’s kind of a training camp thing. We’ll see how long it lasts.”

That sentiment applies to everything Daniel Jones right now as the Giants head into yet another prove-it season for their quarterback.

The beard. The optimism. The massive-sized chip that resides on his shoulder pads.

Saturday's preseason game against the Texans is the next step for Jones on that road back to where he was before last season began - before so much for him and around him went terribly wrong.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: With new beard and an edge, Daniel Jones back as Giants QB. How long will this last?