The New York Giants are down to their third-string quarterback as the starter after the injury bug bit both starter Daniel Jones and second-stringer Tyrod Taylor. Jones is out for the season with a torn ACL but Taylor was placed on short-term injured reserve as he nurses a rib injury.
However, Taylor’s injury is not considered season-ending, and his return could come soon. According to head coach Brian Daboll, Taylor is “making progress” toward his return.
Will Tyrod Taylor assume the starting position when healthy?
Taylor is likely to take over as the starting quarterback when he is ready to return to the lineup. Third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito got the start in Week 10 and is expected to remain the starter for the time being, however, the offense is severely limited with him in the lineup.
When Taylor was in the lineup this season, the Giants were a competitive football team. Taylor earned a 1-2 record as the starter (he left a close game early with an injury in one of those two losses) and kept Big Blue in close games.
This season, Taylor has appeared in seven games and thrown for 579 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions. The offense was far more functional with Taylor in the lineup as his 13 years of NFL experience contributed toward his efficiency under center.
Taylor’s experience and positive performances this season will give him the right to start over DeVito when he is healthy. Since he was placed on IR in Week 9, Taylor cannot be activated to the active roster until Week 13 at the earliest when the Giants will be on their bye week. However, a Week 14 return against the Green Bay Packers could be possible.
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Are the Giants better off without Taylor?
Taylor would undoubtedly be an upgrade over DeVito when he returns to full strength, so the team would not be better off without Taylor; unless you took the viewpoint of a fan hoping and praying to see their team lose enough games to land the first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
With Taylor in the lineup, the Giants have a much better chance of winning football games. This will keep ownership happy and improve Daboll’s chances of surviving this ugly season.
However, the more wins, the fewer losses, the less of a chance the Giants will have of picking first overall. Some fans might not care for draft picks and only want to see their team win football games. But others may be in favor of the “tanking” method, frightened by the idea of Taylor returning to the lineup and helping the Giants win games.
