EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Colt McCoy will start at quarterback for the New York Giants on Sunday night in place of the injured Daniel Jones, sources told ESPN.
Jones was listed as questionable for the prime-time matchup with the Cleveland Browns because of hamstring and ankle injuries. The combination limited his mobility and ability to move freely, even more than in the previous week when he was dealing with the hamstring problem.
Jones was limited in practice this week. McCoy subsequently handled an increased workload, including Friday when he took the first snap with the starters on offense. That is generally a good indication of who starts in that week's game.
McCoy led the Giants to an upset win two weeks ago over the Seattle Seahawks when he started in place of Jones. Now, he gets a chance to do it again on a national stage against his former team and with Freddie Kitchens (the former Browns coach) calling plays in place of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
"I was appreciative of my time with the Browns. I wish we could have won more games," said McCoy, who was selected in the third round by Cleveland out of Texas in the 2010 NFL draft. "There are some great people within that organization. The fans and the people in Cleveland are awesome. My wife and I really enjoyed our time there. We just didn't win enough. That's about all I'll say about Cleveland. I think right now our focus and our team's focus is we still have stuff to play for. They're a good football team. They've won a lot of games. We have our hands full with their guys up front. We know what we need to do to win this game. We have to prepare and focus and be ready to go out there and execute."
McCoy went 13-of-22 for 105 yards with a touchdown and interception against the Seahawks.
This hasn't been a normal week for the Giants, in addition to their quarterback uncertainty. They didn't practice Thursday after Garrett tested positive for COVID-19. They also put top cornerback James Bradberry on the reserve/COVID-19 list after he was deemed a high-risk close contact to a chiropractor who had tested positive. Bradberry will miss Sunday night's game. Outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema took a new job as the University of Illinois head coach and offensive assistant Stephen Brown tested positive for the virus on Saturday.
Giants head coach Joe Judge said before Friday's workout that Jones would get "his share" of first-team snaps. The team considered it a toss-up entering the day whether Jones would be ready to start this week, especially after the ankle was swollen earlier in the week.
It was trending in McCoy's direction by Saturday. The decision was made after the team went through a walk-through.
Judge needed Jones to prove he not only was able to protect himself but also that his overall mobility was there. It wasn't in last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, when he threw for 127 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions and a lost fumble. He wasn't able to escape pressure or run out of the pocket and suffered the ankle injury on a hit early in the second half. Jones didn't have a rushing attempt for the first time in his young career and was sacked six times.
Jones said his mobility was limited against the Cardinals and that the ankle was "sore" earlier this week. He was listed as a limited participant in practice Wednesday and Friday.
Jones insisted he felt "good" on Wednesday despite looking hobbled during the open portion of practices. But Judge has noted that it's imperative he work almost exclusively with his eyes and not ears when it comes to determining Jones' health.
The quarterback has been adamant the past few weeks about wanting to play and was preparing once again this week as if he was going to start.