The New York Giants have started three different quarterbacks this season as injuries have plagued the position. Daniel Jones is out for the season with a torn ACL and his backup, Tyrod Taylor, has been on injured reserve with a rib injury since Week 9. Tommy DeVito has filled in admirably in the absence of the team’s first two quarterback options.
Taylor, however, is making his return to practice on Monday as the team has officially opened his 21-day window. Despite the recent success of Tommy DeVito, Taylor could potentially return to the starting lineup and send Big Blue’s undrafted wonder back to the bench.
Could Tyrod Taylor return to the starting lineup?
Taylor opened the season as the Giants’ No. 2 quarterback behind Jones. While Jones was out of the lineup with a neck injury, Taylor made three starts, going 1-2 with a 2-0 TD-INT ratio.
He then, however, suffered a rib injury in his third start that would land him on injured reserve for the past four weeks. Now the Giants, coming out of a bye week, will be getting Taylor back just in time for the final stretch of the regular season.
Taylor, the team’s most experienced quarterback, could re-enter the lineup as he is likely the best quarterback on the roster. However, there is an argument for keeping the third-stringer DeVito in the starting lineup for the rest of the regular season.
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Why the Giants should stick with Tommy DeVito
Taylor is a 34-year-old backup quarterback on an expiring contract. His future with the Giants is in major question — especially if the team adds to its quarterback room through the draft in April.
DeVito, on the other hand, is a 25-year-old rookie on a multi-year contract with plenty of potential for a bright future. He has been the Giants’ most productive quarterback this season, throwing as many touchdowns in his three starts as Jones had in his six starts (six passing touchdowns).
DeVito’s yards-per-game average (139.4) also far exceeds that of Taylor (82.7). The rookie is on a two-game winning streak and has breathed new life into what once was a stagnant Giants offense.
It is unlikely that DeVito can play so well that he develops into a future starter or franchise quarterback. However, he is proving to be a serviceable backup quarterback, and getting him as much experience as possible this season will only serve to benefit his growth and development toward the future.
