Tommy DeVito

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.

Giants Intend To Start Tommy DeVito In Week 13

November 25th, 2024 at 11:54am CST by Adam La Rose

The start of the post-Daniel Jones era did not go well for the Giants. The team’s lopsided Week 12 loss will not lead to another change on the quarterback depth chart, however.

Head coach Brian Daboll said after Sunday’s 30-7 loss that Tommy DeVito will get the start on Thanksgiving if healthy. DeVito was forced to briefly exit the game during New York’s final drive before returning. His status will be worth watching closely over the coming days, but Daboll said on Monday (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo) he is “hopeful” DeVito will be available on a quick turnaround.

Jones was benched in the wake of New York’s loss against Carolina in Munich. That move did not come as a total surprise given the Giants’ record and the looming 2025 injury guarantee in Jones’ pact. Eyebrows were raised, though, when it was DeVito – not Drew Lock – who got the nod for Week 12. Lock had dressed as the backup all season, with DeVito serving as New York’s emergency third quarterback.

Lock inked a one-year, $5MM deal in free agency to operate as the Giants’ QB2. Despite that, Jones’ benching paved the way for DeVito to return to the lineup after he stepped in late in 2023. The former UDFA posted underwhelming numbers during his audition period last year, and on Sunday he threw for 189 scoreless yards at an average of 6.1 yards per attempt. He has the backing of the coaching staff, however, and Garafolo reports DeVito himself believes he will be at full strength for Thanksgiving’s contest against the Cowboys.

With the Giants sitting at 2-9 on the year, they are on track to have the chance to draft a new franchise passer this spring. Their spot in the order will depend in part on their showings over the coming weeks, including DeVito’s ability to lead the offense to improved performances compared to Sunday. A matchup with Dallas could provide a strong opportunity to do so, but struggles could give Daboll increased incentive to turn to Lock.

Plenty of speculation has been tied to the future of Daboll and Giants general manager Joe Schoen, although both could remain in place through the offseason. The decision to start DeVito had previously been tied to the potential of Daboll being on the hot seat, but for at least the time being that move is on track to be repeated.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Giants To Turn Back To Tyrod Taylor As Starting QB

December 27th, 2023 at 10:03am CST by Sam Robinson

After making a Christmas Day relief effort, Tyrod Taylor will return to action for the Giants. Brian Daboll confirmed the team will move Tommy DeVito back to the bench and go with Taylor against the Rams in Week 17.

The Giants had wanted to look at DeVito for a possible backup role down the line, and the team gave the popular rookie six starts. It took Taylor breaking four ribs to move DeVito into the lineup, though. Daniel Jones‘ top backup going into the past two seasons, Taylor lost his job to a rookie for a fourth time in six years. But the free agent-to-be will have a chance to continue his audition Sunday.

Numerous starters going down due to injury this season could make this an important audition for Taylor, should the NFL’s QB2 market balloon come 2024. Taylor joins a number of veteran backups headed for free agency. With the Giants not expected to re-sign the 13th-year veteran, he is set to continue submitting tape for other teams to evaluate.

Taylor, 34, expressed disappointment when the Giants activated him from IR and kept DeVito in place as their starter. A three-year Bills starter, Taylor has certainly grown accustomed to teams making similar choices. Baker Mayfield replaced him early in the 2018 season, and a pregame injection mishap led to Justin Herbert‘s rise in Los Angeles two years later. Davis Mills usurped Taylor with the Texans in 2021. DeVito represented the most unlikely candidate to jump Taylor on a depth chart, being a UDFA who had petitioned the NCAA for an extra year in college. That being denied led the ex-Illinois and Syracuse starter to the Big Apple.

Daboll initially did not let DeVito throw much once he replaced an injured Taylor against the Jets, but the second-year Giants HC soon loosened the reins. En route to a popularity surge, DeVito has quarterbacked the Giants to three wins. But he struggled in losses to the Saints and Eagles, taking sacks at a high rate as the Giants fell behind by multiple scores in each contest.

The Commanders’ decision to bench Sam Howell stands to be more important for the team’s post-2023 future. This DeVito benching likely does not affect a potential future starter. Jones has been expected to return as Big Blue’s starter for 2024, and the fifth-year veteran is aiming to recover from this ACL tear by training camp. That is not a lock, and GM Joe Schoen mentioned a QB addition as being necessary due to Jones’ injury.

It will be interesting to see how closely the Giants are linked to QB prospects in the draft, as Jones’ contract effectively ensures he will be a Giant in 2024. (The team currently sits fifth on the 2024 draft board.) DeVito can be kept through 2026, via ERFA and RFA tenders, but this benching makes it a bit early to project that far ahead regarding the local product.

Latest On Giants’ Tommy DeVito Plans

December 21st, 2023 at 11:23am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints pumped the brakes on Tommy DeVito‘s recent run, sacking him seven times in a one-sided Week 15 loss. Absorbing a concerning number of sacks is nothing new for DeVito, but the Giants had entered their Superdome date on a three-game win streak.

Brian Daboll confirmed DeVito remains the team’s starter over Tyrod Taylor. The Giants activated Taylor from IR before their Week 14 win over the Packers but will continue to evaluate DeVito for 2024. With Taylor in the final weeks of his two-year Giants contract, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes (video link) the team is using this window to see if DeVito can be its backup next season.

DeVito’s recent stretch has complicated matters for the Giants. Following Daniel Jones‘ ACL tear, Taylor suffered four broken ribs. This left a UDFA rookie — one Daboll kept on a tight leash in an ugly loss to the Jets that featured almost nothing but handoffs on the Giants’ part — piloting a team that hovered near the top of the 2024 draft board. The ensuing three DeVito-quarterbacked wins leave the Giants at 5-9. The NFL has five 5-9 teams, creating a pivotal stretch — for draft positioning, at least — over the final three weeks. But the team is no longer a realistic candidate to land a top-two pick. This gives Jones a smoother runway toward a return as the Giants’ unquestioned starter.

DeVito is not a serious threat to supplant Jones, Garafolo adds, and the recently re-signed starter is aiming to return from his ACL tear by training camp. That would solve some problems for the Giants, who did not exactly see encouraging work from their $40MM-per-year passer before his injury. But GM Joe Schoen said the team would look to add a quarterback in the offseason. DeVito’s improvements may have adjusted the team’s thinking here, but with Taylor heading toward free agency, the team would at least need another arm for 2024. DeVito’s final games may determine if the Giants target a true backup option or a third-stringer-type presence.

Taylor has now been benched by four teams since 2018. The Browns sat their trade pickup for No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield, while the pregame injection snafu in Los Angeles introduced the NFL world to Justin Herbert in 2020. The Texans began their Deshaun Watson healthy-scratch year with Taylor under center, but Davis Mills eventually replaced him. Taylor had operated as Jones’ backup, but the rib injury brought in DeVito. Taylor expressed disappointment about Daboll’s decision, and the journeyman QB is expected to depart soon.

DeVito, who admittedly has just one 200-yard passing performance in five starts, showing enough to be considered a long-term QB2 would help the Giants a bit; he is tied to a league-minimum deal. DeVito’s extended look as a starter has also cost Taylor a bit of dough. Taylor carried $1MM in 2023 playing-time and performance incentives. Reaching the 40% and 50% snap thresholds would have provided him $250K apiece, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. A Taylor 92.5 passer rating and 65% completion rate would also lead to $250K apiece. The 34-year-old veteran, however, has only attempted 91 passes this season.

This surprising DeVito storyline came to fruition in part because he turned down opportunities to join the Commanders (as a UDFA) and the Patriots (as a practice squad arm post-training camp). The New Jersey native transferred from Syracuse to Illinois in 2022 and had hoped the NCAA would grant him a waiver to play in 2023, which would have made him a rare seventh-year senior. Once that did not go through, Illinois HC Bret Bielema — a Giants assistant under Joe Judge in 2020 — helped convince DeVito to turn down multiple other opportunities after the Giants waived him following training camp, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy notes.

DeVito’s decision to stick around on the Giants’ practice squad could result in him becoming a long-term part of the team’s future, but he will probably need to impress over the team’s final three games to both hold off Taylor and show team brass he can be a true backup to Jones.

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