Although Brian Daboll declared Tommy DeVito would remain the Giants’ starter for their Week 13 Thanksgiving matchup in Dallas, the popular New York passer has run into injury trouble.
DeVito is not traveling with the Giants to Dallas today, the team announced. A forearm injury has required more testing, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo noting the team’s current QB1 is on track to depart for Dallas later today. But DeVito may ultimately end up taking a seat.
It looks like a long shot DeVito will be ready to play on a short week, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. That will move Drew Lock into the lineup. Lock had been Daniel Jones‘ backup all season, only to see Daboll look past him for DeVito in Week 12. Lock, who is tied to a one-year contract, is now on track to make his first start with the Giants. Tim Boyle, signed shortly after the Giants benched Jones, would be Lock’s backup if DeVito is inactive.
DeVito did not appear on the Giants’ injury report going into Tuesday but has since been listed as questionable for the team’s Cowboys rematch. The injury is to DeVito’s right arm, Daboll said (via SNY’s Connor Hughes), raising the hurdle for the 2023 UDFA to clear in time for Thursday. Multiple Giants reporters, Hughes among them, have speculated DeVito sustained the injury on a play with 11 seconds remaining in the Giants’ 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers.
Lock signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Giants in March. While Seahawks GM John Schneider suggested the move was based largely on Lock receiving a chance to compete with Jones, that never ended up happening. The team did not hold a competition, and Lock settled into a backup role for the fourth straight season. A Broncos starter to close the 2019 season and throughout 2020, Lock ended up demoted — for Teddy Bridgewater — after an erratic 2020 slate in which he led the NFL in INTs. He did not beat out Geno Smith in 2022, upon being included in the Russell Wilson trade, through he did re-sign with the Seahawks last year.
DeVito leads Lock in starts over the past two seasons, making seven to Lock’s two, but the latter has 23 over the course of his career. The former second-round pick also led the Seahawks to a Monday-night win over the Eagles last season, with that victory coming as Philadelphia’s defense was mid-freefall. Lock can boost his 2025 free agency stock by playing well Thursday, in what is regularly the NFL’s most-watched regular-season game, and could certainly influence Daboll to give him more starts to close this season.
As Jones has since signed with the Vikings, DeVito and Lock may well need to offer competence in order for Daboll to keep his job. The Giants are rumored to be prepared to keep both GM Joe Schoen and Daboll, but an ugly Bucs loss coming out of a bye week did not present good optics. With the Jones re-signing backfiring, neither New York power broker should be too comfortable over this season’s homestretch.
How can the HC and GM be safe? What have they done since joining NYG? Both of their FAs that left this year are in the conversation for O/D POY awards, signed Dan, and well below .500 as a tandem.
I read somewhere that the former Gmen GM drafted both Barkely and McCaffery very high. Turns out he drafted well w/ them.
If NY retains them, expect another losing season. They’re in over their heads.
How can you blame the coach at all in this. He was given the QB he was given
I bet he had some say on re-upping Jones. If not, then why take the job?
He had no say….
I wouldn’t have taken the job then. How can the HC have no say in who his QB is? That’s how you get fired quickly.
Daboll had already taken the job, likely with the expectation Jones would flounder and they would draft a QB next draft. Instead, he coached them to the playoffs in his first year and Schoen extended Jones.
That said, I agree… how can the HC have no say? I don’t believe he wasn’t able to give input.
A) he had no say
B) they re-upped him after Daboll’s first season, ie, well after he took the job. In fact, he took the job in January 2022 and they declined Jones’s fifth year option for 2023 in April 2022
C) why take a job as an NFL head coach? Because it’s an amazing opportunity and the peak of his profession. And also: money
The Lions OC declined the DC job last year because he wasn’t comfortable with how the front office was put together. I remember him saying, ‘They are basketball people, not football people.’ He has plenty of money and is waiting for the right situation, the smart play.
For a historic organization that prides itself on stability and championships, it’s wild to see three coaching regimes end in embarrassing fashion in under a decade.
So Drew will probably start at WB, but that’s not a Lock?
Good to know that the guy they signed to be the backup is getting his chance to be the backup. I’m sure Lock is thrilled.
Its carousel of starting QBs for Giants these days, nobody knows.
It’s time to bring Bill B back to the MeadowLands. The Giants need a strong voice and some discipline. Bring him back at all costs unless he’s done with coaching
Another Cheatriots groupie that wants the Giants to go “4-13 Forever”. That’ll send all the casual fans to the Jets in a New York minute.
To arty: Dave Gettleman’s front office did indeed draft Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney.