Daniel Jones‘ ACL tear derailed the Giants’ 2023 quarterback plans. New York finished the campaign with a combination of Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito under center, but the team also eyed a reunion with a familiar face.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton revealed during a recent appearance on the Up & Adams show that the Giants attempted to bring back Davis Webb after Jones’ injury (h/t Dan Duggan of The Athletic). 2023 marked the beginning of Webb’s coaching career, taking over as Denver’s QBs coach, so a move sending him back to the playing field certainly would have been noteworthy.
Webb was a Giants third-rounder in 2017, but his regular season playing debut came in 2021 with the Bills. His time in Buffalo allowed him to work with then-OC Brian Daboll, who took on the Giants’ head coaching position the following offseason. Webb followed Daboll to New York in 2022, and he started the regular season finale amidst questions regarding his playing future.
The 29-year-old made it clear during the waning days of his playing tenure that he would be transitioning to the coaching ranks. The Bills were eyeing him as their QBs coach in 2022, before Webb elected to remain a player for one more season. He came highly recommended to Payton while he was assembling his first Broncos staff, and it came as little surprise he found an NFL coaching opportunity immediately after hanging up his cleats.
Before and after Jones’ injury, the Giants’ play at the QB spot was generally underwhelming. The position is again a source of speculation even though Jones is attached to the four-year, $160MM contract he inked last offseason. Bringing in Webb as a late-season stop-gap would have been an unusual course of action, though his familiarity with Daboll’s system likely would have allowed him to step into a starter’s role somewhat smoothly. In any case, he will move forward with his coaching responsibilities while New York seeks clarity on the QB depth chart in 2024 and beyond.