Big Blue View
It’s complicated
It’s finally happened. We now know that Daniel Jones will not be a New York Giant in the 2025 season. Of course, that won’t be official until they release him, but it’s a pretty safe assumption. In the aftermath, who are the winners and losers in the fallout from Monday’s announcement? It’s complicated - you can win by losing and lose by winning sometimes.
Fans have been clamoring for Jones to no longer be part of their lives since ... since the moment that he was announced as the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft instead of edge defender Josh Allen. Jones quickly changed some minds in his first NFL start with his dramatic come-from-behind victory in Tampa Bay. He had his moments after that - a 5 TD overtime win In Washington that forced the Giants to draft Andrew Thomas instead of Chase Young (thanks, Daniel); a 402-yard performance in the Superdome that led the Giants to an OT victory over the Saints; a stirring comeback to lead the Giants to victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in London; the 301-yard, 2 TD Wild Card victory over Minnesota, the Giants only playoff win since the 2011 season Super Bowl; and even the unexpected 257-yard, 2 TD win in Seattle this season.
The good moments were just too few and far between, though. More often, Jones had trouble reading defenses, stared at his first read, waited to see his receiver open before throwing, and threw short of the sticks rather than taking shots downfield.
Surprisingly, to some, DeVito was named Jones’ replacement for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay rather than Drew Lock. For DeVito, this is a golden opportunity to show the Giants - and the league - that he can be a viable NFL backup quarterback. DeVito won three games as a starter last season, including a thrilling last-minute comeback drive against Green Bay on Monday Night Football. If he has learned more about playing the position in the NFL since then, he can show that to the Giants and the rest of the league and possibly guarantee himself a paycheck for years. Backup quarterback in the NFL isn’t bad work if you can get it. Just ask Jeff Hostetler and Nick Foles.
This comes with an asterisk. DeVito looked fine against Washington, New England, and Green Bay. When he went up against better defenses, though, he was completely confused by what New Orleans was doing and got coal in his stocking when he couldn’t move the ball in Philadelphia on Christmas Day. So this is as much an opportunity for DeVito to be exposed as it is for him to establish himself. Be careful what you wish for.
What? Hear me out. Jones is by all indications a nice guy who works hard, is respected by his teammates, and never points the finger at anyone else (other than when...
