Braxton Berrios’ foot injury may have opened the door for Charlie Jones in New York a lot faster than anyone expected.
Berrios left Sunday’s 36-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals after twisting up his foot and ankle on a second-quarter punt return, and the question on Monday was whether the Giants would send their special teams ace to injured reserve. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that move was coming, but head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that no decision had been made yet.
Even without a final call, the Giants could be looking at a stretch without Berrios, and that’s where Jones suddenly matters. His arrival in New York already looks like one of those small roster moves that can pay off quickly.
Jones’ route to the Giants has been a little unusual. Cincinnati cut the former fourth-round pick during final roster cuts this summer, and New York grabbed him and stashed him on the practice squad with Berrios.
Then the Bengals reportedly wanted him back. Jones said Cincinnati reached out again, but he chose to stay in North Jersey because he believed it could lead to a bigger role as a receiver.
That bet is starting to look smart. Odell Beckham Jr.’s release and Brian Burns going on injured reserve created two openings on the 53-man roster, and the Giants used one of them to keep Jones around.
He and Berrios were both promoted to the active roster on Sept. 29.
Less than a week later, Jones was already called on in Week 4 against the Cardinals.
When Berrios went down, Jones handled the return work the rest of the way and finished with two punt returns for 29 yards and three kickoff returns for 69 more.
Harbs was asked Monday who the Giants would turn to if Berrios is out, and the answer sounded pretty straightforward: look inside first.
“Sometimes the best stones are under your feet,” Harbs told reporters, adding that New York would look internally first at players who have already been practicing with the team.
Jones looks like one of the first options. He’s built most of his value on special teams, but there could be room for him on offense too.
The Giants are thin at receiver, with Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, and Malachi Fields as the only three on the depth chart, and Jones has shown he can catch the ball. His final college season at Purdue was a big one: 110 catches for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The timing couldn’t be much better for him. Jones stayed in New York chasing a larger opportunity, and with Berrios hurt, that opportunity may be arriving sooner than he imagined.
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