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A lot is going on in the New York Giants locker room right now that isn't good. That's what happens when you're 2-8 and riding a five-game losing skid. Tempers get hot, frustrations boil over, and even in a professional setting like the NFL, sometimes things just start feeling weird. The Giants are a mess. They're not quite at the level of the New York Jets — who have fired head coach Robert Saleh and now general manager Joe Douglas while the legacy of Aaron Rodgers continues to erode — but this losing skid hasn't been great for culture in New York. Neither has been the quarterback carousel.
On Monday, head coach Brian Daboll demoted Daniel Jones but completely skipped over second-stringer Drew Lock for last year's folk hero, Tommy DeVito. While benching Jones was arguably the right move, and we'll get into that in a little bit, it's worth noting that the Giants gave Lock a one-year $5 million contract this offseason specifically to be the No. 2 quarterback. He now doesn't know why that plan hasn't come to fruition. Lock is even wondering out loud why he was ever listed as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart.
There's also the financial aspect of this to consider. The Giants have a potential out in Jones' contract during the 2025 NFL offseason. They'd have to eat $22.2 million in dead cap money, but that's much less than the $30 million and $46.5 million they'd owe him in 2025 and 2026, respectively. There is an exception to that, though, because he does have a $23 million injury guarantee in the contract, which means he'd be guaranteed that amount if he was unable to pass a physical this offseason due to an injury sustained in 2024.
To be clear, Jones deserves to be benched, but the Giants are also saving themselves that guaranteed money by ensuring he doesn't get hurt by playing in the remaining seven games. It's a business decision, but it's a smart business decision. It's also a good football decision in light of his eight-to-seven touchdown-to-interception ratio this season and his 79.4 average passer rating in 10 games.
Still, not everyone is happy. Jones is No. 1 on that list, as is his self-pressed best friend, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.
“He’s the QB1. To me, the best quarterback on the team,” Lawrence said, per the New York Post. “But they see things differently. I guess that’s all that matters.”
Daboll and the Giants do see things differently, and Lawrence is right. That is all that matters.
It is the right decision to go with DeVito over Jones and even Lock, though.
Tommy DeVito gives the Giants a chance at a spark
First and foremost, this is a Giants team that needs a spark. It's tough to pull out of a tailslide, but there are some winnable games left on the schedule. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are next, and they're 4-6. They're competitive but beatable, and this game is at MetLife Stadium.
DeVito became a mini-cultural icon last season when he came out of obscurity and led the Giants to three straight wins. That included wins over the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers. The Packers were a playoff team and right in the midst of getting hot. DeVito iced them on 17-of-21 passing for 158 yards and a touchdown while also dicing them with 10 carries for 71 yards as a scrambler. He even led a game-winning field goal, and this happened on Monday Night Football, mind you.
He proved he could handle the moment, specifically in that game and specifically in this game against the Buccaneers at home, his presence as the starter will provide a huge boost for the Giants' suffering fanbase. That's the energy that this team desperately needs, and DeVito will bring that and more.
Sure, Lock is a former second-overall pick who has been around since 2019, so you know what you'll get from him if you're Daboll and the Giants. What Lock lacks is that X-factor, though. He's a backup quarterback and nothing more in this league. Meanwhile, while DeVito certainly isn't a star, and he likely isn't even a long-term starter, he packs enough punch as both a personality and a talent to get the Giants through these next seven games and at least keep them interesting.
Again, this is a business, and keeping butts in the seats is part of that business.
The legend of “Tommy Cutlets” may simply be a thing of the past, but at this point, what do the Giants have to lose? Why not see if DeVito can capture that magic once again? If he proves he simply can't do it against the Buccaneers, then give Lock another chance. It's a lost season, anyway.
What if DeVito can add some much-needed excitement into this 2024 season for the Giants, though? At the very least, he says he's focused on being the best quarterback he can be for this team.
“Last year was a good story and all, how it happened,” DeVito said, per ESPN. “All the fun and games outside, it was fun. That was last year. I'm sticking to football now. Not that I wasn't before. The external stuff will be on pause. I already had talks with everybody around me, my inner circle. Want it to stay very tight and make sure that everything is about production on Sunday.”
