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Giants Activate OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Promote QB Tim Boyle

November 23rd, 2024 at 6:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

To no surprise, Kayvon Thibodeaux will be back in action for the Giants in Week 12. The third-year edge rusher was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, per a team announcement.

Thibodeaux returned to practice earlier this week, opening his 21-day activation window. The team expected to have him back in time for tomorrow’s game against the Buccaneers, and that will indeed be the case given today’s move. Having recovered in full from wrist surgery, Thibodeaux will reprise his role as a starter along the edge for the Giants.

The former No. 5 pick has been out since Week 5, and in his absence Brian Burns and Azeez Ojulari have handled heavy workloads at the OLB spot. The latter was the subject of trade talk leading up to the deadline earlier this month, but New York elected to retain him. That move came as something of a surprise given Ojulari’s status as a pending free agent and the lack of contract talks which have taken place in his case. Nevertheless, it allowed him to continue adding to his sack total (which now sits at six) ahead of a potential trip to the open market.

Ojulari will return to rotational duties with Thibodeaux back in the fold, though. The Oregon product has started each of his 36 games with the Giants, including the entirety of the 2022 campaign during which Thibodeaux took a major step forward in production. He posted 11.5 sacks, raising expectations for this season (the first with Burns in the fold). Thibodeaux only managed a pair of sacks before landing on IR, but now that he is healthy he will look to deliver a strong finish to the year. Doing so could help his chances of landing an extension this offseason, the first during which he will be eligible for a new deal.

The Giants also promoted Tim Boyle from the practice squad. The journeyman quarterback was added to the taxi squad this week, suggesting he could replace Daniel Jones as New York’s emergency third quarterback for the rest of the season. With Jones now out of the organization, Boyle is set to handle QB3 duties behind Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock.

In a corresponding move, outside linebacker Tomon Fox was waived. The former UDFA has made 24 combined regular and postseason appearances, all with the Giants. A regular presence on special teams, Fox could remain with New York on a practice squad deal provided he clears waivers.

Giants Waive QB Daniel Jones

November 23rd, 2024 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 23: The Giants officially waived Jones on Saturday, per a team announcement. Teams have until 3pm CT on Monday to claim him, though that is considered highly unlikely.

NOVEMBER 22: No ambiguity about Daniel Jones‘ status remains. The Giants are moving on early. Days after benching him, the Giants have agreed to cut their six-year starting quarterback.

Jones requested the release, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. While Jones’ contract will hit waivers, it is highly unlikely he is claimed. As such, a path to free agency exists early. Jones met with John Mara on Friday morning, and the sides reached an agreement to part ways.

“Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him,” Mara said. “We mutually agreed that would be best for him and the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way. His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that.

“We are all disappointed in how things have worked out. We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him. We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

[RELATED: GM Joe Schoen Expects To Be Back In 2025]

The Giants had demoted Jones from the starter to the third-string level, but Brian Daboll said Wednesday it was uncertain if Jones would even be the QB3. Practice squad addition Tim Boyle took reps ahead of Jones in practice, telegraphing the franchise’s plans for the longtime starter. Jones said Thursday he was processing whether he would stay with the Giants through season’s end.

This sets up an interesting situation, as Jones will be in play to catch on with a team early. This reminds somewhat of the Baker Mayfield path two years ago, with the Rams claiming the QB after his Panthers exit. Mayfield used that Los Angeles stay as a springboard to a Buccaneers opportunity in free agency. Jones, 27, being a near-certainty to not be claimed — as no contract adjustment will reduce his $35.5MM base salary (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) — so he will head to free agency soon after. Jones is due $13.81MM in remaining guarantees. A claim would offset that for the Giants, but they are all but certain to take on that number in dead money this year.

As the Giants are slated to eat this additional $13MM-plus in dead money this year, their offseason equation will not change. Due to signing bonus proration, the Giants will eat $22.2MM in dead cap. Because no post-June 1 cut will occur, the team will see that figure hit its 2025 payroll. That marks an interesting facet from this early departure, with the prospect of Jones playing for another team this season obviously the other key prong here.

An emotional Jones addressed Giants media Thursday, reading a prepared statement about his impending exit. The team would have risked being on the hook for an additional $23MM in dead money had Jones suffered a significant injury. The QB being unable to pass a physical by the start of the 2025 league year (March 12) would have triggered that guarantee. Thus, the Giants benched their most talented passer in favor of Tommy DeVito, who is rising from the third-string level to the starter. Drew Lock will back up the 2023 UDFA.

Friday’s news concludes the Jones saga in New York, a story that featured a 2023 re-signing as a pivot point. The Giants had prioritized Jones over Saquon Barkley before free agency last year, agreeing to a four-year, $160MM extension minutes before the franchise tag application deadline. The team then tagged Barkley, setting in motion the six-year running back starter’s exit to Philadelphia. Jones, who received $81MM guaranteed at signing, did not come close to living up to the contract. The Eli Manning successor suffered an ACL tear midway through last season and did not play well before that injury, as another neck injury hampered him prior to that knee malady. While he made it back in time for Week 1 this year, no substantial improvement transpired.

Declining Jones’ fifth-year option shortly after arriving in New York, GM Joe Schoen signed off on the Giants becoming the first team in the option era (2011-present) to pass on a QB’s option and then later re-sign him. In securing that $40MM-per-year payday, Jones then became the first primary starter in that span to average fewer than seven yards per attempt in each of his first five seasons as a starter and then stay with that team for a sixth. The Giants are still showing respect to a player that did not pan out, but they will certainly have a glaring void at the game’s premier position entering 2025.

Schoen attempted to engineer a trade-up to No. 3, offering the Patriots this year’s Giants first- and second-round picks and their first-rounder in 2025. The Pats, who also received an offer from the Vikings, passed and selected Drake Maye — a player both New York and Minnesota coveted. While the Vikings ended up with a quarterback in this class (J.J. McCarthy), Schoen passed. The Giants had the chance to draft McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix at No. 6; Schoen chose Malik Nabers. The 2025 QB class is not regarded on the same level as this year’s, making the Giants’ Jones replacement effort more challenging.

Understandably coming out against the Giants’ plan to draft his replacement, Jones submitted sub-average numbers in his sixth season. He finished a 10-game run with eight TD passes, seven INTs while averaging a paltry 6.1 yards per attempt. The Giants slumped to a 2-8 record, with Schoen admitting the team’s 2022 playoff appearance prompted some moves that set the team back in the long term. No 2023 decision proved worse than the Jones re-signing, as a player who drew significant criticism during his rookie contract received a lucrative second chance. While Barkley has displayed All-Pro form with the Eagles, the player the Giants chose — due to positional value, as Barkley’s status as a superior player was never in question — burned them and has both Schoen and Daboll on hot seats, Mara’s October vote of confidence notwithstanding.

Jones threw more than 15 TD passes in a season just once (2019), and the Giants went 24-44-1 with him at the helm. Struggling mightily during Jason Garrett‘s time as OC, Jones did battle back from a season-ending neck injury to lead a rebuilding Giants team to the 2022 divisional round. The dual-threat QB played well to upset the No. 3-seeded Vikings in those playoffs, helping a team devoid of much receiving talent to its first divisional-round cameo since 2011. The Giants did not see Jones build on that form in 2023, prompting the search for a successor this year.

The Duke alum’s struggles aside, there will be interest both next week in free agency and in 2025 — assuming the team that signs Jones inks him to a one-year deal now. A few clubs are playing without their starters, the Cowboys among them. A role as a backup also would offer intrigue, as Jones would be a QB2 upgrade for most teams.

While Sam Darnold looks to have surpassed Jones as a free agent option in 2025, the latter can adjust his standing on the market by showing decent form late this season. Darnold also upped his stock by backing up Brock Purdy last year; Jones will have a chance to choose his next destination soon, potentially allowing him to craft a similar path to the true free agent market come March. A team that signs Jones will hold exclusive negotiating rights with him until the legal tampering period begins March 10.

As for the Giants, they will be able to retain DeVito as an ERFA in March. Lock is playing out a one-year, $5MM deal. With Big Blue choosing DeVito to replace Jones, there appears little chance Lock will be back in 2025.

Losses down the stretch would improve the Giants’ prospects of landing a viable Jones successor, but that mission is incongruent with the Daboll-Schoen regime attempting to convince Mara it should stay on for a fourth year. As Jones will prepare to head elsewhere, these warring agendas will make for a fascinating finish to another disappointing Giants season.

Daniel Jones ‘Processing’ If He Will Finish Season With Giants

November 21st, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jarrett Stidham has effectively owned a specific corner in the NFL, at least in recent years. Both the Raiders and Broncos inserted him as a starter in Week 17, doing so for the purpose of ensuring the previous starters — Derek Carr and Russell Wilson, respectively — would not suffer an injury. Tommy DeVito is now part of this chapter, as the Giants have parked Daniel Jones.

The Jones benching has not gone over too well in the locker room, as it is a thinly veiled effort to ensure a $23MM injury guarantee does not come into play for 2025 — when the Giants will release Jones. Although Jones is under contract through 2026, the Giants will drop him after six seasons as their starter. When informing Jones he will be benched, Brian Daboll spoke with the supplanted passer about his future with the organization.

Jones, 27, has lasted longer than many expected in this role. The Duke alum is the only QB to date to see a team decline his fifth-year option and then circle back and re-sign him. Jones is also the first quarterback in the rookie-scale era (2011-present) to average less than seven yards per attempt in each of his first five seasons only to be kept as a starter by the same team for a sixth. The Eli Manning successor has endured constant scrutiny, but his Big Apple tenure will end soon. A topic of discussion this week: will Jones take the Carr or Wilson route out of town?

Carr left the Raiders once the team benched him for Stidham. While this was themed around not being a distraction, Carr later said he was “very upset” once he learned of the benching. Wilson certainly expressed disappointment as well, but he both stuck around to back up Stidham last season and then — even as the writing appeared on the wall — publicly said he wanted to stay in Denver. Cuts commenced in both situations, with the Broncos’ decision bringing a record-smashing dead money sum.

When asked if he would stay with the Giants through season’s end, Jones said (via SNY) he was “processing” that call. With Daboll not confirming Jones would even be the team’s emergency QB in Week 12 — as recent signee Tim Boyle is under consideration for that role — it would stand to reason the 2019 No. 6 overall pick will give strong consideration to leaving the team. Jones would continue to collect his fully guaranteed salary ($35.5MM) if he goes the Carr route or stays with the team like Wilson did.

Embattled QBs certainly do not make a habit of receiving six-year opportunities, as Jones did well to sandwich a solid season (2022) between several unremarkable slates. His free agency status will be interesting to monitor. The league’s latest QB reclamation project, Sam Darnold looks like he will be the top free agent option. Jones may well be the second-most appealing name on a market that will include an underwhelming 2021 draft class and a host of backup-level options.

Daniel Jones’ QB3 Status Uncertain; Latest On Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll

November 20th, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

For QB bubble-wrap scenarios, Daniel Jones‘ now looks closer to where Washington once went with Robert Griffin III compared to the two Jarrett Stidham AFC West instances over the past two seasons. It is conceivable Jones does not dress again as a Giant.

Today, the Giants went through practice with the six-year starter as the No. 4 quarterback. Recent practice squad addition Tim Boyle worked ahead of Jones, and Brian Daboll said (via the33rdTeam.com’s Ari Meirov) he is not certain which of the two will be the emergency No. 3 option in Week 12.

[RELATED: Giants Starting Tommy DeVito In Week 12]

Drew Lock handled the Giants’ scout-team work Wednesday, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy adds. No. 3 QBs often operate in that role during practices, but the Giants will not ask Jones to do so. This further points to the team doing as much as it can to ensure the veteran starter — who suffered an ACL tear in 2023 and missed two stretches due to neck issues during his career — stays healthy, as a $23MM injury guarantee would come into play if an injury prevented Jones from passing a physical by the start of the 2025 league year. Otherwise, the Giants can move on for minimal — all things considered — dead money.

Yes, Jones received a staggering six seasons — give or take some injury absences and Eli Manning starting the first two games of the 2019 season — of run as the Giants’ starter and is in Year 2 of a four-year, $160MM contract, but this demotion is not going over too well in the team’s locker room. Dexter Lawrence called Jones the best quarterback on the team, and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adds others are disappointed by the way the Giants have effectively moved the QB out of the picture by dropping him to the third (or fourth) string.

Last year, Boyle ended up going from Zach Wilson‘s replacement to the waiver wire within hours; this came after Robert Saleh had still called Wilson the Jets’ best quarterback. While Boyle has a chance to serve as the other Big Apple team’s emergency QB Sunday, Lock is obviously disappointed by the team’s decision to start Tommy DeVito over him. Lock said (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) both Daboll and GM Joe Schoen met with each QB on Monday to discuss the depth chart shuffle. Lock is tied to a one-year, $5MM deal and has 23 starts to DeVito’s six.

That said, the Giants viewing DeVito as a better runner and recalling the spark he provided last year’s team factored into the decision, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano adds. A 2023 UDFA, DeVito profiles as the best candidate among the current QBs to remain on the Giants’ roster beyond this season. Jones will be cut, likely via a post-June 1 designation, and Lock will presumably move on to another backup gig. Though, Lock’s stock has tumbled since the Broncos’ 2021 Teddy Bridgewater trade.

As for Jones, he remains with the Giants. Russell Wilson being demoted largely for contract reasons did not lead to him leaving the Broncos immediately, though Derek Carr did step away from the Raiders after Stidham replaced him in Week 17 of the 2022 season. Washington had picked up Griffin’s fifth-year option in 2014, but when those were guaranteed for injury only, teams could bail free of charge the following year as long as the player passed a physical. Washington indeed released RG3 after his bubble-wrap season, when Kirk Cousins started throughout.

While this latest contract-related QB move could be interpreted as a tanking decision, that would be quite odd given Daboll and Schoen’s tenuous statuses. John Mara‘s votes of confidence preceded nothing but losses, and some around the league remain skeptical. Both the coach and GM’s jobs are likely on the line, with others around the NFL viewing it as closer to a 50-50 proposition the duo is retained, per Graziano colleague Jeremy Fowler.

Both leaders took over a rebuild situation, and Mara has hoped to avoid another quick dismissal. The New York owner fired Ben McAdoo during his second season and then canned Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge following theirs. Daboll has gone 8-19 since his 2022 Coach of the Year season. Schoen admitted (via the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz) the better-than-expected 2022 season prompted him to make moves that did not serve the organization’s long-term interest. Jones’ extension, after the Giants declined his fifth-year option in 2022, would certainly top that list.

Mara gave Dave Gettleman four full seasons as GM; with Schoen delivering a 2022 playoff berth, this would be a quick hook. Still, Schoen’s actions during Hard Knocks‘ first offseason project did not portray him well, as Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney are having All-Pro-caliber seasons. Whether Daboll and Schoen are brought back may now come down to DeVito, representing how far the regime has fallen.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/24

November 20th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Giants Designate OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux For Return

November 20th, 2024 at 11:45am CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants have managed to keep their pass rush in high gear without Kayvon Thibodeaux; it does not appear they will need to work without him much longer.

Thibodeaux is returning to practice Wednesday, starting his 21-day activation clock. Brian Daboll expressed optimism (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) Thibodeaux will be ready to go for Sunday’s Giants-Buccaneers game.

A starter since debuting in 2022, Thibodeaux has been down with a wrist injury since Week 5. He underwent surgery to repair the issue, and the Giants gave the Oregon alum the bye week to finish off his recovery. While Thibodeaux will return to a team in transition — thanks to the Daniel Jones benching — he is coming back to a pass rush that has kept going despite other issues holding the roster back.

New York did not trade Azeez Ojulari at the deadline, retaining the Thibodeaux fill-in even though it looks likely he will depart as a free agent in March. Ojulari has played well in his contract year, replacing Thibodeaux opposite Brian Burns. Ojulari has six sacks this season, matching Burns’ total. Dexter Lawrence still leads the way with nine. Only the Broncos (39 sacks) rank higher than the Giants (36) in this area.

Thibodeaux finished last season with team-high 11.5 sacks. He registered 2.5 in five games to start this season but is on pace for more QB hits compared to last season. After notching only 16 in 2023, Thibodeaux tallied seven before going on IR. The Giants are committed to Burns and Thibodeaux long term; both are Joe Schoen-era acquisitions, whereas Dave Gettleman drafted Ojulari in 2021.

Tommy DeVito making an appearance before Thanksgiving certainly illustrates another off-track season for the Giants, but they still have some promising pieces elsewhere on the roster. Thibodeaux is one of them, and a strong homestretch stands to help the edge rusher on the extension front. Schoen’s first draft pick having a productive final third this season would help the GM, who is in a battle to keep his job.

Thibodeaux will become extension-eligible in January, but the Giants may take advantage of having him on a rookie deal due to the big-ticket extension they gave Burns (five years, $141MM) upon trading for him. Big Blue can keep Thibodeaux on his rookie pact through 2026, via the fifth-year option that will probably be exercised — by either Schoen or his successor — by May.

Giants Sign QB Tim Boyle, OL Tyre Phillips

November 19th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Daniel Jones‘ benching will ensure he does not suffer an injury late in the season. The Giants are moving forward with Tommy DeVito under center, but they are also adding further depth at the quarterback spot.

New York is adding Tim Boyle on a practice squad deal, Art Stapleton of NJ.com reports. Boyle was among the players who worked out for the team on Tuesday, and he will now give the Giants an insurance option at the position. Drew Lock will serve as DeVito’s backup, an indication that not triggering Jones’ 2025 injury guarantee was a central factor in the decision to bench the former No. 6 pick.

This move is another sign Jones will not see the field again in 2024 even if DeVito and/or Lock suffer injuries. Boyle has made 22 appearances and five starts during his NFL tenure, one which has spanned five teams. His most recent action came earlier this year with the Dolphins while Tua Tagovailoa was injured, but his last two starts came in 2023 with the Jets. The 30-year-old sports a record of 0-5 and has thrown just four touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions.

The Giants’ taxi squad moves also include a deal for Tyre Phillips. The fifth-year offensive lineman is re-joining the team, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Phillips played for New York in 2022 and ’23, but his campaign came to an abrupt end last year due to a torn quad. Now that he is healthy, the 27-year-old has managed to land another Giants pact for the second half of the season. Like the Boyle addition, the Philips signing has since been announced by the team.

The offensive tackle spot has been an issue for New York, with Andrew Thomas suffering a season-ending foot injury last month. On the right side, a number of options have received a look, including 2022 first-rounder Evan Neal. Phillips has some experience on the blindside, but he has primarily played at right tackle in his career; if he finds himself on the active roster, he could represent a depth contributor at RT.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports linebacker Curtis Bolton is being released from the Giants’ practice squad in a corresponding move. He has made 29 appearances in the NFL, including one this season for New York during which he handled a notable special teams workload. Bolton’s third phase abilities will likely be targeted by his next team.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/24

November 19th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Washington Commanders

Giants To Start Tommy DeVito In Week 12

November 18th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

[RELATED: Fallout From Giants’ QB Decision]

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.

Brian Daboll’s Giants Future Tied To Daniel Jones Benching?

November 18th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have officially benched Daniel Jones in a move which has been anticipated given his struggles and the nature of his contract. With a 2025 injury guarantee looming, the former No. 6 pick is set to finish out the year on the sidelines.

Tommy DeVito is now atop the quarterback depth chart after he found himself in the same position midway through last year. He will aim to lead the Giants to a better showing than the 2-8 record which was posted with Jones at the helm, but in any case the team’s attention will turn to the process of finding a new long-term answer under center. It remains to be seen if New York’s braintrust will be in place to see it through.

Head coach Brian Daboll is believed to be “coaching for his job” over the remainder of the season, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have received public praise from owner John Mara, although many around the league are unsure if that has truly ended the possibility of dismissals coming this offseason. Schoen, for his part, expressed an expectation he will be retained prior to Monday’s news of the quarterback change.

The move from Jones to DeVito has raised eyebrows for some given the fact that Drew Lock has spent the season as New York’s backup. The veteran signed a one-year, $5MM contract in free agency to replace Tyrod Taylor as a high-floor QB2 option in the event Jones were to suffer a repeat of his injury history or get benched in a move to prevent him from failing a physical this offseason. Lock missed time during the summer, though, which leaves him with far fewer reps in Daboll’s offense than DeVito.

Schultz notes the scrutiny Daboll is facing is one of the factors driving the decision to tap DeVito as the team’s signal-caller moving forward. The former UDFA went 3-3 as a starter last year, although he averaged only 6.2 yards per attempt and just over 122 passing yards per contest when on the field. If he replicates those figures, rebounding from the struggles of the early part of the season will be challenging for the Giants. While a poor finish in the win-loss column would be beneficial to New York’s draft slot, it would certainly not help Daboll’s chances of being retained.

The former Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs and Bills offensive coordinator took his first head coaching gig in 2022 with the Giants. Daboll helped guide the team to a surprising 9-7-1 record in his debut campaign, reaching the divisional round of the playoffs. Since the start of last season, however, the Giants sit at 8-19 and it is commonplace in the NFL for the arrival of a new quarterback to be accompanied by changes on the sidelines. With Jones seemingly on the way out and Lock a pending free agent, New York could need two new quarterbacks in 2025 with or without Daboll in the fold.

To little surprise, Schultz adds the relationship between Jones and the organization is viewed as “a bit awkward.” That owes in no small part to the well-documented efforts by the Giants to trade up to the No. 3 slot in April’s draft, a move which would have allowed for Drake Maye to be added as their future franchise passer. Jones made it clear he was not a fan of New York’s efforts to replace him, a process which is set to be repeated in 2025. Before free agency and/or the draft present themselves as avenues for moves to take place, a decision will need to be made on whether or not Daboll will be entrusted to oversee the development of any new passers.

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