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.
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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.
