In speaking to the media after Sunday’s game about his decision and ability to play against the Cowboys, Giants defensive lineman said the following when asked why he played through a triceps injury when a lot of others might sit:
“I think a lot of players would probably sit out if they had the same thing. Peoples' agents are probably telling them to sit out, coaches are probably not going to question you if you sit out. But I'm doing this more for myself than anything, more for my teammates, as well. (The defensive linemen) have a really tight group and I don't want to leave them hanging out there. I'm really doing it for them and for myself, as well.”
He followed up by saying his agent didn’t tell him to sit, only to “be smart, trust my body, and trust how I'm feeling,” but it brought up an interesting comparison: Daniel Jones.
It has now been almost a month since Jones suffered a neck injury against Philadelphia on Thanksgiving weekend, and the Giants have been somewhat coy about his status, speaking only in generalities and not exactly saying how long they expect their franchise QB to be sidelined.
That uncertainty, combined with the Giants’ now 4-10 record, can lead to wonder whether or not the Giants should just shut Jones down. Yes, they still seem to want to evaluate him as much as possible before having to decide on picking up his fifth-year option this offseason, but they also don’t necessarily want to risk serious injury to do it, right?
Williams wouldn’t compare himself to Jones because of different circumstances and injuries, but did offer this about the situation:
“I think with injuries, it's hard to compare situations because the injuries are different, you know? Something like me dealing with elbow pain and the injury is something I can possibly play through, whereas if I had something, anything spinal or neck, that's something that's going to affect your life long-term if you keep messing with that,” he said. “It's more than just football, you've got to think about your life at that point. I think it's just hard to compare.”
The Giants as a whole have been coy about Jones’ status, but what does Williams think?
“I honestly haven't thought too much about it until now, but I don't know his situation fully and how he's feeling or how the doctors are evaluating it,” Williams said. “Like I said, if I knew I had something wrong with my spine or anything neck or back issues, that's a lot more serious and I would definitely take my time coming back with something like that.”
It’s likely Williams will be out there on Sunday in Philadelphia, come Hell or high water, to run his streak of consecutive games played to 100…but will Jones be out there again at all?
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