The New York Giants are preparing to finalize their 53-man roster for the regular season and could have some difficult decisions to make on cut-down day. Among those tough choices will be whether or not to hold three quarterbacks on the roster this season. Whether or not the Giants decide to keep three quarterbacks will call fan-favorite backup Tommy DeVito’s job security into question.
Should the Giants hold onto three quarterbacks this season?
Many teams hold only two quarterbacks on their roster, freeing up an extra spot to add depth at another position of need. But for the Giants, it might be wise to hold a third quarterback on the roster this season.
Starting quarterback Daniel Jones is coming off a 2023-24 season in which he did not play well nor stay healthy. He missed one game due to a neck injury before returning to the field and having the rest of his season cut short due to a torn ACL suffered in Week 9. He finished the campaign with two touchdown passes and six interceptions across six starts.
Jones has missed time due to an injury in all but one of his five professional careers so far. The Giants need to be cognizant of that fact and give themselves some insurance behind Jones. If Jones goes down with an injury once again, the G-Men need to have a capable backup ready to go.
Drew Lock is that projected backup. The Giants signed Lock to a one-year, $5 million contract this offseason to be the second-stringer behind Jones. However, Lock struggled in the team’s first preseason game before suffering an injury that would keep him sidelined for several weeks.
Last season, after Jones went down, the Giants put backup QB Tyrod Taylor in the lineup. They quickly learned the value of having a third quarterback on the roster, however, after Taylor also got injured, paving the way for DeVito to get some playing time.
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Tommy DeVito has shown that he is good enough to start and win games
DeVito made six starts for the G-Men last season, earning a 3-3 record and throwing for 1,101 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions. DeVito was far from a superstar, but he played with a fearless mentality and won over the hearts of Giants fans during his three-game win streak down the late stretch of the season.
With DeVito under center, the Giants got by and won some games. Had that not happened, who knows what would have been the end-of-season result for head coach Brian Daboll and company? The previous two head coaches for the Giants were both fired after their second seasons at the helm. DeVito’s wins bought the coaching staff extra time.
Not that the Giants view DeVito as a potential franchise quarterback, nor are they eager to see him in the starting lineup this season. But DeVito now has a full year and change under his belt playing in Daboll’s system. He is good enough to win games as a spot starter and could be a great backup option for Jones and Lock this season. The Giants would be wise to hold onto a third quarterback and give DeVito a roster spot this season.
DeVito will likely play all four quarters against the New York Jets in the Giants’ preseason finale on Saturday night. This could be his opportunity to solidify his spot on the final 53-man roster.
