When a full-team brawl broke out during New York Giants’ training camp practice this past Tuesday, third-year quarterback Daniel Jones somehow found himself on the bottom of the pile.
“I’m part of the team. Part of the team and part of the offense and we’re competing, so I don’t see myself separated from that,” Jones told reporters after the melee.
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But the Giants can’t afford to have their 24-year-old franchise quarterback injured, which is why veteran offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins was quick to dive in and pull Jones out with the help of defensive tackle Danny Shelton.
“I’m a little too old to fight so I wanted to make sure I get the quarterback out of the bottom of the pile. I just heard somebody say he was in there so I just went and looked for a red jersey,” Wiggins told Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media.
And the brawl was nothing of note for Wiggins. He’s seen far worse during his days in the NFL and the same can be said for the punishment handed down by a red-hot Joe Judge.
“I was with Matt Patricia the last few years, so …” he said without the need to add more context.
Meanwhile, Wiggins had been receiving some first-team reps prior to the return of Shane Lemieux (knee), which could indicate a potentially significant role for the 32-year-old in 2021.
“It’s fun playing with guys that are a lot more talented than you, and younger,” Wiggins said. “We play off each other. I’ve seen a lot of things. I help along the way. Because they can do a lot of things that I can’t do.”
Perhaps no contribution will be more significant this season than Wiggins potentially saving Jones from injury. That alone deserves all the praise.