The New York Giants will face off against their MetLife Stadium co-tenants, the New York Jets, this Saturday night in their annual preseason meeting.
The game will close out the preseason for both teams, but before that, they will partake in a joint practice out at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park on Wednesday.
Every NFL team will have to reduce their rosters to 53 players from the current 90 by next Tuesday. There’s still a load of questions up and down the roster that remain unanswered.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll and his staff will have some tough cuts and he hasn’t ruled out some starters playing in this Saturday’s game, including quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones played his first game since tearing his ACL last November. He may need some more fine-tuning to shake off the rust before the season opener on September 8 against Minnesota.
“First game back after a little bit of a layoff,” Daboll told reporters on Sunday. “Scrambled for a first down. Did some good things, but obviously all of us can do better. It is his first game back and you’re trying to get ready for a game that’s not far off.”
There are ongoing roster battles and some injuries that have opened up opportunities along the offensive line and in the secondary. Those jobs will likely be settled out on the field this week against the Jets.
The running back situation is also still in flux, although it looks like Devin Singletary and Eric Gray have nailed down the top two spots.
As for the Jets, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will play in the joint practice and could possibly make an appearance in this game. He hasn’t played since injuring his Achilles in Week 1 last year.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh hasn’t ruled it out but intimated that any decision regarding Rodgers would include the front office.
“[Aaron’s] going to be included in the conversations along with the coordinators and [general manager Joe Douglas], and we’re going to make the best decision for the team,” Saleh said before this week’s game, via CBS Sports.
“You never know,” Rodgers told CBS New York during the Jets game this past Saturday against Carolina. “I’m not sure. I mean, I feel like Saleh already ruled me out a few weeks ago, but if I beg him, maybe I’ll get to be out there.”
It’s doubtful the Jets would risk exposing Rodgers to injury against the Giants but the Jets have questions they need answered, too. Keep in mind that Rodgers played in last year’s preseason game against the Giants and had a tiff with former linebacker Jihad Ward.