This past offseason, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen misread the room and was left empty-handed when disgruntled quarterback Tyrod Taylor jumped ship to the New York Jets.
Schoen had been convinced Taylor would return despite losing his job due to injury in 2023, as we saw on “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.”
With Schoen caught off guard by Taylor’s departure, he went out and signed quarterback Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million deal.
Lock was viewed as an insurance policy in the event Daniel Jones (knee) was unable to start the season. When it became apparent DJ would return, Lock assumed the backup role knowing that an opportunity to start could come down the line.
To date, that moment has not arrived.
The Giants benched Jones earlier this week but instead of handing the keys over to Lock, they promoted Tommy DeVito from QB3 to QB1 after 10 straight games as a healthy scratch.
The decision left many perplexed, including Lock.
“If you get to be the backup all year and the time comes and you end up still being a backup, you’re upset,” Lock told reporters on Wednesday. “Definitely disappointed.”
Lock says he will remain professional and avoid tearing up the locker room due to his frustration, but admits the entire situation is “interesting.”
“Again, that’s a question I might still have for myself,” Lock said when asked why he was QB2 all season and not starting now. “It was expressed to me that I was going to be the two. I don’t know, it’s an interesting situation. Not much I can really say about it.
“There’s a ton of emotions involved in all of it. I would say, this is still a business. I want more jobs after this year.”
The best way to stay relevant and generate free agent interest is by putting good film on tape but for the time being, that’s not going to happen. However, it also doesn’t mean Lock’s New York window is closed because head coach Brian Daboll refused to commit to DeVito beyond Week 12, which in and of itself is curious.
Maybe the Giants start Lock in Week 13. Or who knows, maybe they leapfrog him again and go with the recently signed Tim Boyle. Anything seems possible at this point.
