The New York Giants, a team steeped in NFL history, find themselves in turbulent waters this season, adding complexity to their narrative by making a bold decision involving their quarterback lineup. The team, currently floundering with a 2-8 record, has decided to bench their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, opting instead to elevate Tommy DeVito from third string to first. This decision stands in stark contrast to the expected choice of backup Drew Lock, who has now been bypassed despite being Jones's understudy throughout the season.
Tommy DeVito opened the season as the Giants' third-string quarterback, a position typically reserved for development and preparation, not immediate leadership. Nevertheless, the Giants promoted him over Drew Lock, an established backup quarterback with contractual incentives tied to playing time and performance milestones. Lock can earn $250,000 upon reaching specific snap percentages and potentially a half-million dollars if he plays 55% of the offensive snaps and leads the team into the playoffs, a scenario now seemingly out of reach given the team's current trajectory.
The Fan Base and Franchise Optics
This decision has stirred significant discussion within the football community. Mark Schlereth, a respected voice in the NFL sphere, offered a candid assessment, "This is why the Giants suck. Drew Lock has been your backup quarterback for the entirety of the season, right? He was the guy, if Daniel Jones was going to get hurt, he was the guy that was going in. He was good enough to do that for you for the entirety of this season." Schlereth's words underscore a sentiment that questions the Giants' strategic direction, especially at a time when such decisions reverberate throughout the locker room and among the fan base.
The choice to elevate "Tommy Cutlets", as DeVito has been unceremoniously nicknamed, over Lock seems yet another head-scratcher within a franchise mired in underperformance and identity crisis. Schlereth further elaborated, "But as soon as you decide to bench Daniel Jones, you decide to go with the sideshow, Tommy Cutlets. Because why? Because your fan base will be excited?" Such remarks poignantly highlight the Giants' apparent priority of generating fan enthusiasm over sound strategic decision-making—an accusation not uncommon in the world of professional sports, where public perception can sometimes outweigh prudent on-field judgment.
A Franchise in Disarray
The Giants' current struggles go beyond merely on-field performance. They face an existential dilemma about their reputation and ability to attract talent. “Like, to me, this is the biggest issue," Schlereth continued. "You're a bad franchise. You need to attract free agents to come to your franchise. If I'm a free agent player, and all things being equal from a money standpoint, I look at this clown show versus some other team… I'm not going to the Giants. That's a clown show." His criticism underscores a dire need for a coherent plan to attract potential free agents who might otherwise be dissuaded by the team’s current internal dynamics.
Drew Lock's contract, laden with performance-based incentives, tells the story of a player brought aboard with anticipation and inevitability in mind. Yet, as Schlereth points out, "That guy worked all year to be the backup to get his opportunity. He signed there to have an opportunity because he knew Daniel Jones was questionable and at the 11th hour you decide, 'no, we're going to go with (DeVito),'" This late-stage decision to prioritize DeVito over Lock reflects a willingness to experiment in the face of adversity, although at the potential cost of team morale and consistency.
Amidst the quarterback controversy, the Giants can still find solace in the talent of standout defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, who, despite the team's lackluster performance, continues to deliver impressively on the defensive line. However, highlighting individual success offers limited consolation for a franchise yearning for collective resurgence.
As the season progresses, New York's future decisions will weigh heavily not just on the current roster and its development but also on the broader perception of a team fighting to reclaim its storied legacy and attract the talent needed to return to prominence.