Ahead of the New York Giants’ Monday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers to close out Week 8, ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan dropped a very interesting article on the Big Blue quarterback room and starter Daniel Jones.
“New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones took all the first-team reps at practice this week and is not expected to be on a short leash Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers despite getting pulled in the fourth quarter last week, multiple sources told ESPN,” Raanan began.
That part was somewhat expected, but what followed should be eye-opening to fans.
“A handful of Giants players told ESPN this week they weren’t pushing for a permanent change at quarterback entering the Monday night matchup,” the NYG insider went on. “Jones is their starter.”
Raanan then added that “several players did note that it might be different if Tyrod Taylor were still on the roster. He’s not. It’s still Jones’ team.”
Without directly saying it, that statement tells you a lot about how the Big Blue locker room views backup quarterbacks Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. Among fans, there’s very little love lost on the former, Lock, who only just signed with the franchise this offseason and has mostly struggled, but DeVito is a different story.
After his electrifying run as a rookie, a large contingent of Giants fans would tell you that they’d prefer DeVito as the starter right now — over both Jones and Lock. At the very least, his presence might provide more excitement, even if the youngster flames out again as we’ve seen in the past.
Having said that, the NYG players appear to disagree, and that’s important.
Daniel Jones to Remain as Giants’ Starting QB for Foreseeable Future?
So long as the locker room and the coaching staff both see Jones as their best chance to win football games — despite any and all flaws — he’ll likely be the man leading the offense.
Yes, there’s a $23 million injury clause that could result in the Giants paying Jones needless money in 2025, but this current Big Blue team is trying to win football games right now. So, odds are that injury guarantee is not on the forefront of the minds of head coach Brian Daboll and his players — even if it’s something for general manager Joe Schoen to consider as the season progresses.
It can’t be. And if it is, that’s not a good sign.
Having said all of that, nothing is a certainty when it comes to the Giants’ QB situation as of October 28, per Raanan.
“Jones wouldn’t say if he has been given reassurances beyond that he’s starting Monday night,” the ESPN reporter relayed within his article. “Daboll told the team in the locker room after last week’s loss that Jones was the starter going forward. He did not specify anything more than that.”
“Daboll also wouldn’t specify if he’s given his quarterback any reassurance he wouldn’t be pulled midgame again,” Raanan went on. “Only that their focus was on playing well.”
Will Tommy DeVito Ever Get Another Starting Opportunity With Giants?
Despite bringing in Lock to be the backup and bringing in QB3 competition for DeVito this offseason, the Giants ended up keeping the former UDFA success story at the 53-man deadline. That shows that they still have some level of belief in him as a developmental prospect.
But do they realistically see him as a potential starter? That’s less likely.
The modern-day NFL revolves around a player’s ceiling and potential — especially at quarterback. And DeVito does not have the same overall talent as a rookie like Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
Still, we’ve seen overlooked collegiate signal-callers like Brock Purdy burst onto the scene, so why not DeVito?
To be clear, there’s no exact science to any of this, but there’s a reason the Giants have been so hesitant to let DeVito compete for the starting job in 2024. At least to some extent, they don’t trust his ability to sustain the success that he had as a rookie.
The question is — will the 26-year-old ever do enough to change that perception and start another game for Big Blue?
