Drew Lock

QB Drew Lock Returning To Seahawks

April 11th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

QB dominoes are falling Friday, and a third reunion will take place. After Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson made return trips Friday morning, Drew Lock will follow suit.

The Seahawks are re-signing Lock, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Lock will slide in as a Sam Darnold backup, doing so after playing mostly a backup role as a Giant in 2024. Lock had served as Geno Smith‘s backup from 2022-23.

Initially obtained as part of the eight-asset package the Broncos sent over for Russell Wilson, Lock did not beat out Smith to win the Seahawks’ starting job in 2022. But he became a player the team viewed as valuable. The Seahawks initially re-signed Lock in 2023, keeping him around (at one year and $4MM) despite choosing Smith as their surefire starter. No QB controversy spawned after Smith seized the role as Wilson’s successor, but Lock stayed on after the expiration of his rookie contract. After a rather forgettable Giants one-off, the six-year veteran is coming back to the Pacific Northwest.

Although Pete Carroll is out, the GM who traded for Lock — John Schneider — is calling the shots as Seattle’s top personnel exec. Lock will play behind Darnold, who signed a three-year, $100.5MM deal to replace Smith days after Seattle traded its three-year starter to Las Vegas.

Lock had been on the Seahawks’ radar to retain in 2024, but Schneider stirred up some controversy by indicating he signed with the Giants (one year, $5MM) due partially to being told he could compete for a starting job. Big Blue pushed back on that, not seriously considering a Daniel Jones demotion during the ’24 offseason. But Lock did make his way into the lineup, as the team ultimately did jettison Jones after a six-year partnership fizzled.

Lock’s decision to rejoin the Seahawks hours after Flacco recommitted to the Browns may not be a coincidence. It is certainly possible Cleveland looked at Lock as a potential bridge starter, as he has a bit more experience at the controls than Kenny Pickett. Though, Lock has not been looked at as a preferred starter since the Broncos replaced him with Teddy Bridgewater in 2021. Given a quick hook in Denver, the former second-round pick still has made 28 career starts. A rather notable outing took place last December, helping Lock finalize his case for another QB2 gig.

In a game that dropped the Giants out of the No. 1 draft slot, Lock sliced up the Colts in a shootout win. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and four touchdown passes. Lock did not throw an interception against Indianapolis, and while the win looks to have blocked the Giants from solving their QB problem with Cam Ward, it helped Lock secure another opportunity. He will join 2024 trade acquisition Sam Howell on Seattle’s roster. Considering Howell started 17 games for the 2023 Commanders, this represents a gradual fall for the North Carolina product.

Lock, 28, was 1-4 as a starter last season; the Giants initially went with Tommy DeVito over the veteran upon benching Jones. As a Seahawk, Lock went 1-1 as a starter. The win came during a Monday-night game against a cratering Eagles defense, but Lock has been a streaky passer — one prone to INTs — throughout his career. Like fellow Mizzou alums Chase Daniel and Blaine Gabbert, he continues to secure regular QB2 employment.

Patriots Trading Joe Milton To Cowboys

April 3rd, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots are trading quarterback Joe Milton to the Cowboys, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Dallas will send one of its fifth-round compensatory picks in April’s draft to New England in exchange for Milton and a seventh-rounder, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The Patriots received the 171st overall pick and the Cowboys now have the 217th overall pick, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Milton was a sixth-round pick in 2024 who spent his rookie year as the Patriots’ QB3 behind No. 3 pick Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton brings a rare set of physical tools, including an especially powerful arm. He impressed in his lone appearance last season, completing 22 of his 29 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and a 111.4 passer rating in Week 18 against the Bills.

That performance helped to generate some trade buzz surrounding Milton, which picked up after the Patriots signed Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs arrived in New England to take over Brissett’s role, keeping Milton third on the depth chart with little potential for playing time. Milton was not seen as “an ideal backup” for Maye, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The team even told Dobbs that they were looking to trade Milton in order to build their quarterback room around Maye and prioritize his development, per Breer.

Milton also wanted out of New England, seeing himself as a future starter and knowing he would have a better chance at seeing the field elsewhere, both in the short- and long-term. The Patriots granted permission for Milton to seek a trade, per Schultz, and the Cowboys “showed the most interest from the start.” The two teams had been negotiating for a few weeks before talks accelerated at league meetings in Florida, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.

A number of other teams expressed interest in trading for Milton, according to Schultz, including the Raiders, Eagles, Giants, and Steelers. The Patriots had at least one better offer on the table, but worked with Milton to send him to his preferred landing spot in Dallas.

“My family grew up a Cowboys fan,” said Milton (via Schultz). “My mom always had a Cowboys shirt on. She always talked about them. Living in Texas has been a longtime dream of mine. And now I’m with them. I’m ready to work.”

Milton will arrive in Dallas as the presumptive backup to Dak Prescott. The Cowboys explored an extension with 2024 backup Trey Lance after Prescott went down last season, per Archer, but the former No. 3 pick remains a free agent. Dallas also had interest in Brissett and Drew Lock in free agency, according to Archer.

Milton has three years and $3.2MM remaining on his contract, per OverTheCap, while Brissett’s shorter, two-year deal with the Cardinals is worth three times as much. With Prescott still commanding the highest salary in the NFL, the Cowboys opted to trade for a young, cost-controlled with developmental upside over the next three years.

Drew Lock To Remain Giants’ Starting QB

December 4th, 2024 at 11:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Despite a rough Thanksgiving outing, Drew Lock is staying in place as the Giants’ starting quarterback. Brian Daboll announced Wednesday he is keeping the former second-round pick in place.

Lock initially lost out to Tommy DeVito, even as the more experienced player resided as Daniel Jones‘ top backup throughout the season, but a forearm injury sidelined DeVito after his first start. It is not yet clear if DeVito will be ready to play in Week 14, but Lock will keep the keys for at least another week — for a Saints matchup.

Signed to a one-year, $5MM deal, Lock expressed understandable disappointment when Daboll initially tabbed DeVito over him following the Jones benching. This decision came a year after Tyrod Taylor displayed more frustration after being informed DeVito, a UDFA who began the 2023 season on the Giants’ practice squad, would keep the starting job even as the veteran came off IR. Daboll eventually went back to Taylor, though, and he is now going with Lock for a second straight game. DeVito will be limited in practice Wednesday.

Lock went 21 of 32 for 178 yards during a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys, a game that featured the Giants’ offense in gridlock most of the way. This week will at least mark a preparation difference for Lock, who will practice as the starter for the first time this season. With Geno Smith‘s two absences last season not being known days in advance, Daboll’s early proclamation will make for Lock’s first run of extended starter prep since he closed the 2021 season — after Teddy Bridgewater sustained a second concussion that year — as the Broncos’ QB1.

Denver demoted Lock after trading for Bridgewater that year, and the Missouri alum has not come especially close — as Smith easily won a 2022 Seahawks competition — to a starting gig. This will represent a key opportunity for the sixth-year vet, who appears likely to depart New York in free agency come March. DeVito, who sustained the forearm injury late in Week 12 but was not ruled out until just before the Dallas matchup, can be kept as an exclusive rights free agent.

Additionally, Daboll said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) tight end Theo Johnson underwent foot surgery. The rookie fourth-rounder, who started 11 games this season, landed on IR recently. Not only is Johnson’s season over, but Daboll said the surgery rehab is expected to affect his offseason availability. With the Giants not making a substantial tight end move following Darren Waller‘s June retirement, it should be expected the team — especially now with this Johnson injury in the equation — addresses the position in 2025.

Giants To Start Drew Lock In Week 13

November 28th, 2024 at 11:38am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 28: Raanan and colleague Adam Schefter report DeVito is expected to be out today, leaving Lock in position to start. Depending on how his pregame warm-up goes, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes DeVito could serve as New York’s backup or emergency third quarterback. With hours remaining until kickoff, though, today’s updates point further toward Lock getting the nod.

NOVEMBER 27: 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.

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.

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.

Daniel Jones Fallout: Jones’ Reaction, DeVito, Lock Incentives

November 18th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants ripped off the band-aid today, benching Daniel Jones for Week 12 and likely beyond. The move didn’t come as a complete surprise considering Jones’ subpar play in 2024, especially during the Giants’ active five-game losing streak. While the pivot atop the depth chart seemed inevitable, the team’s trio of quarterbacks only found out this morning.

While speaking to reporters today, coach Brian Daboll revealed that he had a meeting with the Giants’ three QBs to discuss the team’s “direction” (per Connor Hughes SNYtv). Naturally, Jones didn’t take well to his demotion.

“Certainly you’re not going to be happy about that as a competitor, and I respect that,” Daboll said of his former starter (via Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports).

Daboll also admitted he talked with Jones about the player’s future with the organization, but the coach kept those conversations private (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). While the QB is still attached to his four-year, $160MM extension, he doesn’t have any salary locked in beyond the 2024 campaign. Jones’ $23MM injury guarantee for 2025 likely played into the organization’s thinking, especially with the front office having an easy out ($30.5MM in cap savings, $11.11MM in dead cap) this offseason.

So, the team will now pivot to Tommy DeVito. The QB went 3-3 as a starter last season, and Daboll acknowledged that DeVito’s 2023 performance played a role in the team’s 2024 decision (via Hughes). The Giants’ decision to go with DeVito over Drew Lock could have also been financially motivated. Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac notes that Lock could have still achieved a handful of incentives, most notably $250K bonuses based on passer rating, completion rate, and touchdowns/receiving yards. With Daboll coaching for his job over the next month, the coach probably only gave minor consideration to this factor.

Of course, Lock could still see the field if DeVito gets injured or benched. The Giants will roll with Lock as their primary backup, meaning Jones won’t even dress as the team looks to avoid an injury to the highly paid QB.

Examining Giants’ Daniel Jones Situation

November 12th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As you may have heard, the Giants pursued a quarterback upgrade this offseason. The team made Drake Maye its primary target, sending the Patriots a strong offer (Nos. 6 and 47, along with a 2025 first-round pick) for No. 3 overall. The Pats passed on Giants and Vikings offers for the pick and centered their rebuild around Maye. The Giants then passed on selecting J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix despite spending time with all three leading up to the draft.

This always left Daniel Jones in limbo, as he has underwhelmed — for the most part — since becoming Eli Manning‘s successor. Jones’ solid yet unspectacular 2022 notwithstanding, the Giants certainly have not seen him live up to the four-year, $160MM deal they authorized just before the March 2023 deadline to apply franchise tags — which led to Saquon Barkley‘s tag and eventual exit. The domino effect here both benefited the Eagles and likely has GM Joe Schoen on a hot seat — after the Jones-over-Barkley decision affected his 2024 plan as well — despite John Mara‘s reassurances.

Mara gave Schoen and HC Brian Daboll endorsements for both the end of this season and into 2025, but with the Giants at 2-8 and having lost to a struggling Panthers team in Germany, it is fairly safe to assume both power brokers are far from assured to be back next year. Mara had expected a “big step forward” this season.

Mara has been a bit more patient with GMs compared to HCs, giving two-time Super Bowl winner Jerry Reese the chance to hire the head coach post-Tom Coughlin (Ben McAdoo) and allowing Dave Gettleman to select two HCs (Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge). Schoen being given a quick hook would be out of character, but Daboll receiving the boot after three years would not. Daboll is the only Giants HC to see a third season since Coughlin’s exit.

As it stands, the Giants have a decision to make on Jones; a benching is already on the table. Although no more fully guaranteed money remains on Jones’ contract following this season, sixth-year quarterback has a $23MM injury guarantee for 2025. That would kick in if Jones cannot pass a physical by the start of the 2025 league year in March. This has loomed over the Giants since their Maye trade effort failed. Daboll did not open up a competition this offseason, despite some comments from Seahawks GM John Schneider indicating that was on tap, and the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy notes no known first-team reps have gone to Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito this season. Jones’ contract situation points to that changing soon.

Since the 2011 draft changed NFL roster-building, Jones is an outlier. He is the only quarterback who remained a starter with the same team in a sixth season despite not averaging more than seven yards per attempt in any of his first five. The Giants passing on long-rumored target McCarthy at No. 6 gave Jones security, as Lock has not proven a threat. New York passing on McCarthy and other QBs at 6 led Malik Nabers to the Big Apple in hopes the LSU product would ignite Jones. While Nabers has certainly flashed, Jones has continued to struggle upon returning from his ACL tear. He exited a two-INT Carolina game ranked 27th in QBR and averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt.

It appears a 2025 Jones release — long viewed as likely — is close to a near-certainty. With Jones seeing his 2021 season end early due to a neck injury that required surgery and then suffering the ACL tear two years later (after missing 2023 games with more neck trouble), the Giants run the risk of another injury triggering those guarantees and hurting their ability to build a 2025 roster. A 2015 Robert Griffin III-style bubble-wrap scenario may be imminent.

If Jones is cut after passing a physical, it would cost the Giants $22.21MM in dead money — a figure that could be spread over two years, in a post-June 1 release scenario — to move on in 2025. A $23MM sum added to that would create more challenges for the team, which would then be responsible for the second-highest dead money figure — well, depending on what the Browns do with Deshaun Watson — in NFL history.

Lock stands as the more likely player to be given the reins in a Jarrett Stidham scenario, and a benching before the Giants’ Week 12 game would give the former Broncos starter and Seahawks backup a longer runway than each of Stidham’s contract-driven outings. Stidham owns this corner right now, having been promoted by both the Raiders and Broncos to protect injury guarantees in 2022 and ’23. Both AFC West teams cut their starters — Derek Carr, Russell Wilson — weeks after elevating Stidham. A Lock promotion would undoubtedly lead to the Jones book closing in New York by March.

The Giants gave Jones a much longer runway than similar passers have received, as recent years have shown it is not uncommon for top-10 QB picks to be benched by Year 2. The team pulling the plug during Year 6 appears all but certain, and a 2025 effort to acquire a replacement brings the Daboll-Schoen regime into focus. With Jones’ fate all but sealed, the more interesting component here will be whether Schoen will be allowed to acquire the QB’s replacement.

GMs rarely receive second chances, which would create a seminal “what if?” for the veteran exec due to him doubling down on Jones — whom Mara has strongly supported in past offseasons — rather than going all out to land a potential upgrade. Schoen is running out of time to make a sales pitch, and this Jones decision will certainly play into Mara’s long-term thinking as he determines if another housecleaning is necessary.

Drew Lock To Miss Time; Giants Not Considering QB Addition

August 12th, 2024 at 10:27am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 12: Daboll’s latest comments on the QB situation (via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News) indicate New York will not, in fact, be making a move at this time. Lock is likely to remain sidelined at practice this week, but Daboll said tight end Tyree Jackson is a candidate to dress as a third QB if needed for the Giants’ second preseason game.

AUGUST 9: Drew Lock joined the Giants in part because of the rehab odyssey Daniel Jones required following his ACL tear. Jones, however, is now back and reclaimed his starting post. And Lock is now the QB in need of a rehab timetable.

The veteran backup sustained a strained oblique and suffered a hip contusion during a sequence in the Giants’ preseason opener Thursday night, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The free agency pickup will not need surgery, but he will miss what sounds like a reasonable chunk of time — to the point the Giants may need another quarterback.

Brian Daboll said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the Giants will consider a QB addition. Jones and Tommy DeVito are now the only healthy QBs on New York’s roster. The team cut offseason addition Nathan Rourke upon Jones being fully cleared. Rourke is now with the Falcons.

Lock has a month to recovery in time for the season, but given Jones’ injury history, it is understandable the Giants are discussing an immediate move. DeVito stands to move into the backup role. While the team’s part-time 2023 starter is not a threat to Lock’s job security, his experience last season is suddenly relevant. Regardless of DeVito’s seasoning, the Giants will need another arm to get through preseason play.

Only a starter for one full season (2020), Lock began his career on the Broncos’ IR list a year earlier. The second-round pick did not debut until Week 13 of his rookie year. In 2020, Lock only finished 12 games; though, one absence came due to being a COVID-19 close contact. Lock has only worked as a Teddy Bridgewater or Geno Smith fill-in over the past three seasons, and he signed a one-year deal worth $5MM to back up Jones. Reports of Lock threatening Jones’ job security were quickly debunked, though it is worth wondering if the current Big Blue backup will make starts late in the season regardless of the starter’s health. A Jones $12MM injury guarantee enters the equation for the Giants in 2025, opening the door for Lock seeing time if Jones is parked to prevent guarantees vesting.

Ben DiNucci joins ex-Giants emergency backups Jacob Eason and Matt Barkley as available passers. Technically, Ryan Tannehill is also available, though it would be highly unlikely the ex-Dolphins and Titans starter was interested in a short-term gig. Now 38 and coming off a Raiders release, Brian Hoyer is also available. His Patriots tenure did not overlap with Daboll’s, however.

For now, the Giants have Jones ready to go once again and DeVito (six 2023 starts) a surprisingly experienced — for a second-year UDFA, at least — option behind him. Lock’s status, of course, will be worth revisiting as the season nears.

Giants’ Offseason QB Pitch Highlighted Previous Backup Success

July 17th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Ely Allen

HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason continues to deliver nuggets of information and context that otherwise would not have been made available to the public. In the series’ most recent episode, we became privy to some details on the development of the Giants’ backup quarterback situation this offseason.

One area that the series shed light on was the departure of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The show displayed that both general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll showed confidence that Taylor would re-sign with the team, while beat reporters like Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post and Dan Dugger of The Athletic were both under the impression that Taylor had no interest in staying with New York.

The team had turned to Taylor to start for an injured Daniel Jones in Week 6 of the 2023 season but saw Taylor exit with a rib injury three weeks later. Taylor would eventually return around Week 14, but the Giants made the decision to stick with undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, who had gone 3-1 in four starts filling in for Jones and Taylor. Two weeks later, DeVito was benched in a second straight losing effort as Taylor retook the reins for the remainder of the season.

Dunleavy claimed that Taylor was “very disheartened by how last season played out after his injury,” leading to the assumption that the veteran was not interested in returning. Duggan echoed this sentiment, saying that he “got the sense that (Taylor) was ready to move on after how last season unfolded.” Taylor eventually signed with the Jets, opting to serve as the primary backup for another starter who spent most of last season on injured reserve.

Following the loss of Taylor, the team explored a number of options to replace him, clearly seeing a need for quality with Jones’ injury history. The series showed that veteran names like Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco were floated around the building before the team ultimately landed on Drew Lock as their target.

A couple of months ago, we touched on a rumor that Jones’ injury history was part of the pitch that lured Lock to New York, with the team pointing at the success that former backups like Taylor and Mitch Trubisky have had finding contracts following their time with the Giants. That was seemingly confirmed in this week’s episode, showing that, whereas other teams had tried to sell Lock a potentially unrealistic chance to start, New York touted their history of getting backup passers back on their feet.

Regardless of how they got there, both parties appear to be in a good place now. Lock stands a better chance at seeing the field in New York (based on Jones’ injury history), and the Giants now roster one of the league’s most promising young backups as their QB2.

Brian Daboll Addresses Giants’ QB Situation

June 12th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Daniel Jones‘ progress on a return from a November ACL tear has not included 11-on-11 work at the team’s minicamp, but the sixth-year quarterback has long been expected to be back by training camp. When Jones returns, the starting job will be his once again.

Rumblings about Drew Lock potentially challenging Jones for the gig have come up at multiple points during the offseason. Seahawks GM John Schneider was responsible for once such instance, saying the Giants “basically sold him on the opportunity to compete to be the starter.” Brian Daboll became the latest to insist no QB competition will be on tap for training camp, indicating Jones — barring a setback on his nearly complete rehab journey — will be the Giants’ starter for a sixth season.

“We’ve talked about that. [Lock] understands his role,” Daboll said (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) of the team’s Jones-Lock QB depth chart. “He has been a true pro. He has definitely improved since he has gotten here. Good to get two more workdays here with the guys that he might not necessarily get as many reps with once we get to training camp.”

The six-year mark provides an interesting line of demarcation for Giants starting quarterbacks. Kerry Collins and Fran Tarkenton‘s time as New York QB1s stopped after five seasons; Y.A. Tittle‘s tenure stopped at four. Over the past 75 years, Jones will join only Eli Manning, Phil Simms and Charlie Conerly as Big Blue passers to operate as primary starters for at least six seasons. The Giants have not seen a great return on their investment — from either the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 or 2023’s four-year, $160MM extension — but their decision-makers have continued to aim for another Jones opportunity.

A Jones-Lock depth chart appeared to be Plan B for the Giants, who submitted an offer to the Patriots that included Nos. 6 and 47 and the team’s 2025 first-round pick. The Pats cut off both the Giants and Vikings’ Drake Maye interest by drafting the North Carolina passer at No. 3. With next year’s QB class not generating the reviews this one did — albeit at this early juncture — the Giants reside in uncertain territory after passing on the likes of Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix. By default, the team’s game plan remains Jones-centric.

Chosen 36 picks after Jones in 2019, Lock signed a one-year deal worth $5MM ($4.95MM guaranteed). Jones’ injury history is believed to have played a role in Lock’s decision to join the Giants, but the ex-Broncos and Seahawks passer does not yet look to have a path to playing time. Jones has missed 21 starts due to injury as a pro. A late-season situation could also come up in which the Giants opt to sit their starter to ensure he can pass a 2025 physical; Jones being unable to do so would put the Giants on the hook for an additional $12MM in injury guarantees for 2025.

Lock has made 23 career starts. The Broncos had hoped he would become a reliable option, but the team demoted him after a 2020 season in which he led the NFL in interceptions. Lock could not beat out Geno Smith for Seattle’s starting gig in 2022. As of now, he is set as New York’s QB2.

Barring a major injury, the Giants can move on from Jones (via a post-June 1 cut) next year and incur only $11.1MM in 2025 dead money. The Maye pursuit certainly points to the team having doubts about Jones’ future, with his injury history playing the lead role on that front. After Jones’ 2022 showing convinced the current Giants regime to buy back in after the team had declined his fifth-year option, the oft-doubted starter is set for another “prove it” season.

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