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Joe Schoen has admitted defeated on Daniel Jones, but now the New York Giants general manager is taking heat for not handing the starting quarterback job to expensive backup Drew Lock.
Instead, Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll intend to start third-stringer Tommy DeVito. Last season’s cult hero will take the reins for Week 12’s home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, November 24, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter confirmed the news on Monday, November 18, the same day Jones was officially sent to the bench, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
On the surface, there are sound reasons for turning to DeVito, at least initially. Reasons like the 26-year-old going 3-3 as a starter late last season. Daboll knows he can win with DeVito, while Lock missed valuable reps while dealing with hip and abdomen injuries in the offseason.
All of those things are reasonable, but none of them completely excuse the Giants overlooking Lock after the deal they handed him in free agency.
Giants Roasted for Drew Lock Decision
Reactions have not been kind to the Giants. The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy accused the Giants of wasting “$5M on Drew Lock that couldve been spent elsewhere on a … on a CB starter.”
Dunleavy also pointed out Schoen could have spent more to sign a credible Jones replacement like Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson.
Schoen had suggested Wilson wasn’t going to choose the Giants over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Things might have been different if the Giants hade made a stronger financial offer.
The Giants ultimately chose to move on with Jones and an expensive backup who had a chance to start. That chance was merely a mirage based on how quickly Daboll and Schoen have overlooked Lock for DeVito.
To some, including Empire Sports Media’s Alex Wilson, “skipping right over Drew Lock” means the “Giants have waived the white flag. Now we just hope DeVito doesn’t win us out of another quarterback.”
Perhaps Schoen is concerned less with wins this season and more with stockpiling cash for next year’s rebuild.
Giants Cutting Costs With QB Moves
Sitting Jones down now was inevitable, and not just because the beleaguered signal-caller continued to struggle on the field. As NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo pointed out, the Giants benching No. 8 “also protects the team from next year’s $23 million injury guarantee.”
Saving that amount of money is no-small win for Schoen. He’ll need it if he and Daboll are still around to rebuild the roster in 2025.
Similar thinking might have informed the decision to choose DeVito over Lock. The latter’s contract does contain as much as $3 million worth of incentives based on playing time this season.
It looks suspiciously like the Giants are already counting every penny ahead of a yet another team reset. Whether Schoen should get to make this call is a debate likely to intensify in the coming weeks.
He chose Jones over two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley, who is ripping it up for NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles. Schoen’s choice backfired in the worst way and left the Giants in one long transition at football’s most important position.
Ending this particular carousel has to be top priority, no matter the cost.
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