After several seasons in which he never quite reached the level expected of him, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will be benched for his team’s next game.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll announced Monday that Jones’ place as starter will be taken by Tommy DeVito, while Drew Lock will be the backup, so Jones is the third quarterback for the New Yorkers, ESPN reported.
This decision could be the beginning of the end of the relationship between the passer and the Giants, after he signed a four-year, $160 million contract just under two years ago.
DeVito will start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium next Sunday.
With seven games remaining in the season, the Giants are 2-8 and sit at the bottom of the NFC East, “battling” for the worst record in the entire league.
The clause that sends Daniel Jones to the bench
The Giants general manager Joe Schoen also considered that in Jones’ contract there is a $23 million injury clause for 2025, which would be guaranteed if the passer gets injured.
This is not the first time something similar has happened in the NFL, as last season the Denver Broncos did the same with Russell Wilson who had a $37 million guarantee, while the Raiders did the same with Jimmy Garoppolo ($11.25 million).
After the loss to the Carolina Panthers a week ago in Germany, Daboll said the team was going to evaluate the situation in the team’s bye week, which contrasts with what he said in previous weeks, when he committed to fully supporting his quarterback, but at that time, everything was going to make the change of starting quarterback in the franchise.
Tommy DeVito won three consecutive games last year as a starter, following injuries to Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor, and has been the third quarterback in every game this season behind Lock.
Jones’ numbers
Jones has struggled since winning a playoff game following the 2022 season and signing his contract in March 2023 with the Giants, after compiling a 3-13 record in his 16 starts over the past two seasons.
Between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Jones has 10 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, including two costly interceptions against Carolina during the Giants’ 20-17 overtime loss in Germany.
Throughout his six-year NFL career, Jones has totaled 14,582 yards, with 70 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions, and a 64.1 completion percentage.
The Giants rank last in the NFL in points scored, averaging 15.6 per game, and are on track to finish with one of the highest picks in next year’s draft, which they would presumably use on a new quarterback.
