On any level, in any sport, what just happened to former Denver Broncos starting quarterback and current New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock would sting.
Lock was the second-stringer for the Giants from the moment he stepped in the locker room, backing up former first round pick and $16o million quarterback Daniel Jones.
After the Giants dropped to 2-8 with an overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 and a bye in Week 11, Giants head coach Brian Daboll announced he was benching Jones in favor of third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito, who will start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.
It’s not a football decision. Jones is the Giants’ best quarterback but has a $23 million injury clause for 2025 that would kick in if he gets hurt. DeVito went 3-3 as a starter for the Giants in 2023 but is also a local favorite, having grown up in nearby Cedar Grove, New Jersey.
Lock, like many in the football world and within his own locker room, expressed some level of confusion and disappointment in the move to pass him over in favor of DeVito.
“That’s a question that I might still have for myself,” Lock told the media on Wednesday. “It was expressed to me that I was going to be QB2. Interesting situation. Not much I can really say about it besides, again, I’m going to be here for him and we’re still communicating and still very good friends, believe it or not. I’m going to be here for him, the team needs to get a win and if we start winning everything will get a little better around here.”
Lock wasn’t alone on the Giants in how he felt.
“There is ‘disappointment’ among some #Giants players regarding how the Daniel Jones situation was handled over the past week, especially with players aware it was primarily a financial decision by the organization,” FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on November 19. “… The sense I’ve gotten from multiple sources — players, coaches, and executives — is that the issues within the organization go far beyond just one person.”
Lock Played First 3 NFL Seasons With Broncos
Lock played the first 3 seasons of his NFL career with the Broncos after they selected him in the second round (No. 42 overall) out of Missouri in the 2019 NFL draft.
Lock had plenty of chances to make his mark as the starter in Denver, where he went 8-13 as the starter, including a 4-9 record in 2020, when he led the NFL with 15 interceptions. He was eventually part of the trade package that brought Russell Wilson to the Broncos and sent Lock to the Seattle Seahawks, where he went 1-1 as a starter in 2023 as Geno Smith’s backup.
Lock signed a 1-year, $5 million contract with the Giants in March 2024.
Lock Probably Wouldn’t Be Much Better Than DeVito
It’s hard to make an argument Lock would be much better than DeVito — who earned the nickname “Tommy Cutlets” as a rookie.
DeVito’s career QB rating (89.2) is actually better than Lock (79.1) and DeVito is a much more mobile option — he had 195 rushing yards in 6 starts 2023, which is better than Lock’s career high of 160 rushing yards in 13 starts in 2020.
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Former Broncos Starting QB Weights In On Controversial NFC East Move