The Giants ripped off the band-aid today, benching Daniel Jones for Week 12 and likely beyond. The move didn’t come as a complete surprise considering Jones’ subpar play in 2024, especially during the Giants’ active five-game losing streak. While the pivot atop the depth chart seemed inevitable, the team’s trio of quarterbacks only found out this morning.
[RELATED: Giants To Start Tommy DeVito In Week 12]
While speaking to reporters today, coach Brian Daboll revealed that he had a meeting with the Giants’ three QBs to discuss the team’s “direction” (per Connor Hughes SNYtv). Naturally, Jones didn’t take well to his demotion.
“Certainly you’re not going to be happy about that as a competitor, and I respect that,” Daboll said of his former starter (via Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports).
Daboll also admitted he talked with Jones about the player’s future with the organization, but the coach kept those conversations private (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). While the QB is still attached to his four-year, $160MM extension, he doesn’t have any salary locked in beyond the 2024 campaign. Jones’ $23MM injury guarantee for 2025 likely played into the organization’s thinking, especially with the front office having an easy out ($30.5MM in cap savings, $11.11MM in dead cap) this offseason.
So, the team will now pivot to Tommy DeVito. The QB went 3-3 as a starter last season, and Daboll acknowledged that DeVito’s 2023 performance played a role in the team’s 2024 decision (via Hughes). The Giants’ decision to go with DeVito over Drew Lock could have also been financially motivated. Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac notes that Lock could have still achieved a handful of incentives, most notably $250K bonuses based on passer rating, completion rate, and touchdowns/receiving yards. With Daboll coaching for his job over the next month, the coach probably only gave minor consideration to this factor.
Of course, Lock could still see the field if DeVito gets injured or benched. The Giants will roll with Lock as their primary backup, meaning Jones won’t even dress as the team looks to avoid an injury to the highly paid QB.
Appears the Giants, Jags, Browns, Raiders and Cowboys are in a “league of their own”!
Could call this the ‘playoffs for draft position’.
4 of these 5 teams have pretty bad QB contracts to hamstring their caps in 2025 (and beyond for 3).
And I fully expect Jamarcus Russel 2.0 to be drafted by my Raiders in April!
So Drew Lock has made over $13 million on his career so far, sign me up….
According to OTC the Raiders are currently 3rd with a cap space of just over $112 million and dead money of just over $29 million ($7m will be Minchew). This completely explains the Davonte Adams trade with the cavoite of the receiving team having to take on the salary.
Thanks to Jamarcus “Lean” or “Purple Drank” Russel the NFL now has a rookie wage scale, so we do not have to honestly worry about 2.0. The contract must be approved under the CBA. Thus the length, negotiations, cap/parameters, salary components, and salary increases are all predetermined prior to negotiations.
This is Jets erasure.
Oddly enough, the Daniel Jones saga has dwarfed the Jets’ late-game collapse against Indianapolis.
Oh no! anyway
Carolina should take a flier. Simply because he played at Duke and it can’t be any worse than Bryce Young.
Carolina would sign Jones only if he followed orders to “Keep Pounding”.