The Giants are using their bye week to make a change under center. Daniel Jones is headed to the bench, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The move marks another sign his tenure in New York is coming to an end this offseason.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds Tommy DeVito will take over starting duties in Jones’ place. His first game action will come in Week 12 against the Buccaneers with Drew Lock representing the team’s other quarterback option. It remains to be seen where Jones will now sit on the QB depth chart.
Lock missed time during the preseason after joining the Giants in free agency. DeVito, by contrast, is familiar with head coach Brian Daboll‘s scheme dating back to last season. The former UDFA made nine appearances and six starts in 2023, and he is now positioned to add to those totals as New York searches for an answer at the quarterback spot. Jones is now out of the picture for at least the time being and quite possibly the rest of the campaign.
Daboll has committed to Jones on a number of occasions, but the team’s loss against the Panthers resulted in a 2-8 record heading into the bye week. A change under center was deemed possible, meaning today’s news comes as little surprise. Jones remains attached to the four-year, $160MM pact he signed last offseason – one which allowed New York to apply the franchise tag to Saquon Barkley before his free agent departure this spring. That pact falls short of the top of the quarterback market, but Jones has not lived up to the expectations it generated.
No salary beyond this season is fully locked in for Jones, but he of course has a $23MM injury guarantee for 2025. Failing a physical would trigger that guarantee in March, so speculation has long pointed to a benching at some point during the campaign to protect against injury. That move will now be made as the Giants begin planning for another offseason driven by the pursuit of an upgrade under center.
New York attempted to trade up to No. 3 in April’s draft, something which would have allowed the team to select Drake Maye. Attempts on that front – which obviously did not sit well with Jones – were unsuccessful, leaving the 27-year-old in place to handle QB1 duties for 2024. Jones has fallen short of his career averages in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating this year, and those statistical showings (coupled with the health factor) left Daboll and Co. with a key decision to make. Now, attention will turn to Jones’ offseason outlook with respect to his future.
A post-June 1 release would result in $30.5MM in cap savings along with a dead money charge of $11.11MM, making such a move a financially feasible one on the Giants’ part. Lock is a pending free agent, and if DeVito delivers a strong showing he may not end up seeing any regular season action with New York. If Jones were to be cut and Lock were to depart on the open market, filling out the remainder of the QB depth chart would become a multi-step process for the Giants. The draft would no doubt once again be a target at that position, although this year’s class of passers is not held in particularly high regard.
DeVito, 26, posted a 3-3 record during his starts last year. His 8:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio was encouraging, but with an average of only 122 passing yards per game volume will be an area to watch this time around. A postseason run is not in the cards for New York, something which will lead to further speculation surrounding Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen‘s job security. For the time being, however, DeVito will take over on offense with the Jones era now over in all likelihood.
Sure, it insures against the injury, but hilariously means they win just enough to blow the draft pick.
don’t worry, DeVito’s not winning anything
Didn’t Tommy win 4 out of the last 7 games last season after he took over?
Tommy Cutlets was 3-3 last year…..his supporting cast is different this season so looking at the 7 games ahead, he probably only has a realistic chance to win 3….Colts if Richardson decides to take himself out due to fatigue when in the Red Zone, Falcons, and Bucs, with losses to the Eagles, Saints, Cowboys regardless of who starts for them, and the Ravens who in addition to the Eagles will crush the G-Men…..how that impacts the Giants pursuit of either the #1, 2, or even 3 is yet to be seen……
his wins last year came against extremely weak teams. Also teams had no film on him. Now they know his few strengths and his many weaknesses. Why do you think he sat on the practice squad all year, available for any team needing quarterback help but nobody picked him up. The Giants may win one game the rest of the way.
Trent Richardson, whose TD run in the final minute beat the Jets? Atlanta and Tampa Bay, currently 1-2 in the NFC South? Baltimore, who no longer controls its destiny for the AFC North?
The fanboy scenarios cooked up by Rocky always defy logic.
It’s funny how you tell the story, what?
What, am I a clown? Do I amuse you?
Danny Dimes will never take another snap for the Giants. He was the worst kind of first round pick. Terrible for all but one season. And that one season was a contract year that bought him two more years. Ouch!
His first season at age 22 was good. Started 12 games, threw for over 3,000 yards, 24 tds, 12 interceptions.
Great example of how David Cutcliffe could make chicken salad out of chicken … at Duke. The Mannings were the Mannings. Thad Lewis may have been the only other QB in Cut’s tenure who did anything in the NFL.
Daniel Jones’ performance was visible years ago to everyone but the team
Wtf is going on in that building, serious groupthink
Dude has the best agent in the NFL. He successfully used upcoming contracts as leverage to sell NYG on “this contract will be a steal in a season”
The not so funny side is he’ll be in the NFL for several more years
Happy for Tommy Cutlets and his Sopranos looking agent. Tommy is a Jersey legend. Giants should go all in on the Italian thing to keep fans interested
This is the same guy that stole Eli Manning’s job and got paid $160 mill. Giants front office makes browns owners look like geniuses
Eli was getting on in years … Giants benched him for Geno Smith, costing Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese their jobs … had to give Eli a last hurrah during Jones’ rookie year … declined Jones’ 5th-year option only to give him a big contract and in so doing ran off Saquon Barkley.
The culture of entitlement in East Rutherford comes back to bite the Giants in the ass.