The New York Giants bench quarterback Daniel Jones. Tommy DeVito will start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The New York Giants have made a major decision! The previous starting quarterback Daniel Jones will be placed on the bench. In his place, Tommy DeVito will lead the team as the new starter. The decision marks a turning point for the Giants, who signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract less than two years ago.
Contractual clauses influence decisions
Tommy DeVito will be the starting quarterback next Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. The Giants, who are coming out of their bye week with a record of 2:8, also have the experienced Drew Lock on the roster, who served as Jones’ backup this season. With seven games left in the season, the decision to change quarterback is a significant move.
A key factor in Jones being benched was a $23 million injury guarantee in his contract for 2025. That amount will be fully guaranteed if Jones is injured and fails a medical in the offseason. The Giants aren’t the first team to bench a quarterback to protect against such a guarantee. Last season, the Denver Broncos made similar trades for Russell Wilson and the Las Vegas Raiders made similar trades for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Coaching staff and management under pressure
After the Week 10 loss to the Carolina Panthers, coach Brian Daboll stated that the team would evaluate everything during the bye week. This was a stark contrast to previous weeks where he immediately expressed his confidence in Jones after defeats. There have already been signs in recent weeks that the Giants could be heading in this direction. So they openly looked for a quarterback in the draft and withdrew Jones in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in week seven.
Jones’ form curve is pointing downwards
Daniel Jones has struggled to find his form since winning a playoff game following the 2022 season and signing a contract in March 2023. In his last 16 starts, the Giants went 3-13. Jones threw 10 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions during that time, including two crucial missed passes deep in the opponent’s half during the 20-17 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Germany. In the last five games he had two touchdown passes and four interceptions.
A new beginning for the Giants
The Giants, who are last in the NFL in scoring statistics with an average of 15.6 points per game, could use one of the top picks in the upcoming draft for a new quarterback. Jones’ departure is as much a criticism of Coach Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen as it is of the quarterback himself.
They had given Jones an impressive contract after his best season in 2022 and applied the franchise tag to running back Saquon Barkley, who is now shining with the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite his strong performances in 2022, including a near-flawless playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings, Jones hasn’t been able to maintain his level, due in part to injuries and a weak offensive line.
