On Monday, the New York Giants officially benched quarterback Daniel Jones, demoting him to the QB3 spot, effectively ending his career in East Rutherford.
It was a move many saw coming after a Week 10 debacle in Germany against the Carolina Panthers but one that was followed by a more controversial decision.
Instead of moving Drew Lock into the starting role and using Tommy DeVito as his backup, the Giants instead promoted DeVito to QB1 in order to create a spark.
“After evaluating a bunch of things and looking at a lot of tape and being around Tommy last year where he created a little bit of a spark for us, that’s the reason why we’re going with Tommy,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters.
“Drew will be the backup. Continue to work with him. He’s been nothing but a pro and as was Daniel. It’s never an easy conversation to have with the players. But felt like this was a necessary move for us and look forward to working with Tommy and getting him ready to go against Tampa.”
Daboll refused to elaborate on why Jones was demoted to QB3 and will be inactive for the remainder of the season, but the reasons are obvious. There’s an injury clause and a $23 million guaranteed salary in 2025 hanging over their heads. Admitting that would cause some issues with the NFLPA, so the coach attempted to thread a needle with his comments.
Everyone can accept that answer with a wink and a nod. We know.
But why DeVito over Lock, who was handed a one-year, $5 million contract during the offseason? After all, DeVito has been a healthy scratch for the past 10 games.
Pressed further, Daboll said after evaluating the film, they suddenly discovered that DeVito was their best quarterback.
“I wanted to take our time and watch a lot of tape. Not just this year’s, last year’s, some other things, too. And try to make the best decision we can make for our team. That’s what I did,” he said.
Uh-huh. We’re sure it has nothing to do with the potential escalators in Lock’s contract or the fact that the Giants have the third-least remaining cap space in the NFL. It was just a “football decision.”
If that were true, one must wonder how the Giants failed to recognize this over their first 10 games.
Jones is likely to be cut after this season, Lock will become an unrestricted free agent, and DeVito will become an exclusive rights free agent. It’s entirely possible — if not plausible — that none of the three return.
“We’re just focused here on this week and the decision that we made to get these guys ready to go. That’s where our focus is,” Daboll said when asked about the future of Jones and the other quarterbacks.
The irony is that DeVito was probably the best choice but how the Giants have handled him thus far, Lock’s contracts and Daboll’s answers make it a spectacle. It casts doubt on general manager Joe Schoen and Daboll and their ability to properly evaluate quarters. It also calls into question their ability to handle contracts and personnel. After all, this is far from the first time personnel decisions have raised an eyebrow.
And what if DeVito, who will play behind an improved offensive line compared to his last time on the field, actually goes out and wins? It might save the regime but cost them a chance at a true franchise quarterback.
Even when the current Giants regime makes the right move, they find a way to muck it up. And that can not make co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch happy.
