Giants QB Daniel Jones discusses return to in-game action after injury

Earlier this month, New York Giants legend and NFL analyst Tiki Barber strongly suggested that starting quarterback Daniel Jones shouldn't risk his health playing in preseason contests after the torn ACL he suffered last year.

Jones and the Giants d isagree with Barber's take, as the 27-year-old will make his in-game return to action in Saturday's exhibition matchup at the Houston Texans.

"I don’t think I’ll be thinking about my knee much," Jones said Thursday about seeing a live defense on Saturday afternoon, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. "I think I’ve tested it. I’ve tested it in practice, tested it in my rehab and workouts and feel like it’s in a good place. So, yeah, I’m confident my knee will be ready to go. It won’t be something I’m thinking about much."

Understandably, Jones wants to shake the rust off heading into New York's regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8. Before he went down with the campaign-ending setback, he missed time last fall due to his second worrisome neck injury in three years. Logic suggests facing a pass rush and seeing coverages in a game setting will better help prepare him for a Minnesota team with something to prove after veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins left the club as a free agent to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.

As ESPN's Jordan Raanan detailed in a piece published Friday, though, there remain far more questions than answers about whether attempts to rebuild New York's woeful offensive line will be successful. That unit could probably use more practice reps before it's tasked with protecting any quarterback, but it will be put to work at Houston's NRG Stadium instead .

"Yeah, I’m certainly not trying to get hit," Jones acknowledged Thursday while chuckling.

Jones' uncertain future with the Giants is no laughing matter. It's now public knowledge that Big Blue general manager Joe Schoen explored drafting Jones' eventual replacement this past April, and the team can escape the QB's contract early next year.

In short, Jones needs to show that he can play at a top-tier level while staying healthy and guiding the Giants to wins to ensure he's still with the organization at this time next year.

"I’ll be excited to be out there again and just going through the game routine, the pregame, getting out there, playing in front of a crowd," Jones added during his comments. "I think all that’s exciting. So, I’m looking forward to doing that again."

As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Giants at +115 betting odds to win over 6.5 games for the upcoming season. If such forecasts prove to be accurate, Jones' feelings of excitement may not last through Christmastime.