Tommy DeVito is back under center for the New York Giants, not just due to performance, but as part of a broader strategy following a disappointing 2–8 start to the season. The team announced Monday that they are benching starting quarterback Daniel Jones in favor of DeVito, who was previously the third-string quarterback. This move comes after DeVito, who went 3–3 as a starter last year after stepping in for the injured Jones, will now make his first start of the 2023 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Interestingly, DeVito is leapfrogging backup Drew Lock, who has only played a limited number of snaps this year.
Head coach Brian Daboll explained that the decision to go with DeVito is partly driven by his previous spark with the team, which he showcased last season. The Giants also stand to save some money on Jones’s contract by pulling him from the starting role now, especially if they avoid triggering the 2025 injury guarantee in Jones’s contract. Daboll confirmed that Lock will serve as DeVito’s backup instead of Jones but declined to comment on whether team owners John Mara or Steve Tisch had any influence in the decision.
Jones, who signed a four-year, $160 million extension in March 2023, had been struggling before suffering a torn ACL early in the season, leaving the team with a 1–5 record. The contract extension raised questions at the time due to Jones’s lack of proven success as a starter. One of the key reasons the Giants are making the change now is the potential to save money if they release or move on from Jones. If the Giants cut Jones after the season, they would incur $22.2 million in dead cap, but it would be a savings of $19 million compared to keeping him on the roster.
The move to DeVito signals a full-scale tank for the Giants, who are also dealing with the fallout of letting star running back Saquon Barkley leave for the rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. Barkley is having a standout season in Philadelphia, helping the Eagles to an 8–2 record and a division lead. Meanwhile, the Giants have struggled to find consistency at the quarterback position.
The decision to move on from Jones was also reflected in the team’s offseason planning, which was documented in HBO’s *Hard Knocks*. In the show, GM Joe Schoen and Daboll discussed the possibility of selecting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels if he fell to them in the draft. However, the Giants chose wide receiver Malik Nabers instead, passing on a quarterback to bolster their receiving corps. Daniels, meanwhile, is quickly becoming a favorite for NFL Rookie of the Year and is leading the Washington Commanders into playoff contention.
Looking ahead, the 2025 quarterback draft class includes promising prospects like Miami’s Cam Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, and Texas’s Quinn Ewers, all of whom could be future solutions for the Giants.
By passing over Lock, the Giants also avoided triggering certain performance-based incentives in his contract, which would have paid him up to $500,000 if he played significant snaps and led the team to the playoffs. However, given the team’s current 2–8 record, a playoff berth is unlikely regardless of who plays quarterback for the remainder of the season.
