Getty Brian Lewerke #68 and Jarrett Stidham #4 of the New England Patriots throw during training camp.
The Mike Glennon era in East Rutherford has come and gone. After starting four of the past five games in place of the injured Daniel Jones under center, it was announced by Giants head coach Joe Judge on a January 3 conference call that Glennon requires surgery on his non-throwing wrist.
“It’s something that has to be handled probably sooner than later, but he’ll be unavailable to play this week,” Judge said.
With Glennon on the mend, backup quarterback Jake Fromm is expected to make his second start in three games. However, the former Georgia standout may not be the only Giants signal-caller to be given a look during the team’s season finale.
Giants Preparing 2 Quarterbacks to See the Field
Fromm made his first career NFL start two weeks ago in Philadelphia, and like every Giants quarterback to take a snap over the past five weeks, has made the appreciation for Daniel Jones increase tenfold. Fromm amassed just 25 yards through the air that game and tossed one interception before being benched for Glennon in the third quarter.
By all accounts, Fromm will be given an opportunity in Week 18 to close out the season on a high note. The 23-year-old could potentially leverage himself into Big Blue’s future plans at the position with a good showing vs. Washington. Still, the team says they will prepare backup Brian Lewerke to potentially see the field at MetLife come Sunday.
“Right now, it would be Jake. We have (Quarterback) Brian Lewerke with us all year, including some of the preseason,” Judge said. “He’s been with us and familiar with our schemes. We’ll work both those guys in practice this week. Right now, based on reps and games, Jake would have the nod. I would anticipate getting him prepared that way, but like any other week we’ll get both guys ready and make sure they’re both prepared and ready to play.”
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Sign up for the Heavy on Giants Newsletter!Judge Gives Assessment on Lewerke
Lewerke, who was originally signed by New York back in August, originally broke into the league with the Patriots in 2020. One of the most prolific players to come through the college ranks in East Lansing in quite some time, Lewerke is Michigan State’s all-time leader in total offense with 9,548 yards from scrimmage (8,293 passing yards and 1,255 rushing yards). His 22 wins as a Spartan are the third-most by a Michigan State quarterback in school history.
“I think Brian’s done a really good job this year of working and doing everything we’ve asked him to do. I think he responded well in the preseason on short notice of prepping. He did some nice things for us in the Cleveland preseason game,” Judge said on December 31. “He’s a guy that’s come out and competed. He’s learned. I’ve definitely seen some improvement from him. He’s a developing player.”
Lewerke, who went undrafted in 2020 despite some preseason first-round hype, has yet to log a regular-season snap. The fact that Fromm jumped him on the depth chart so quickly after his arrival appeared to be a detriment to Lewerke’s long-term outlook in East Rutherford. However, by the sound of it, the organization remains intrigued by the quarterback’s upside.
“I think he’s far away from where he’s going to be as a finalized player as he goes through his career,” Judge added. “I think he’s on track to do some positive things and really put himself in a position in his career to be competitive and have a role on a roster.”
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