The New York Giants have benched Daniel Jones, finally ending the experiment begun when they took him with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, after his consistent subpar play that produced a 3-13 record in 16 starts, including a 2-8 showing this season, coach Brian Daboll demoted him to third-string quarterback behind Tommy DeVito as the starter and Drew Lock as his backup. Several Giants players were unhappy with the decision, including defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, but he did make a strong guarantee about the Daniel Jones-Tommy DeVito situation moving forward.
“I trust what the coaches think, and they think Tommy is the best way to go. I’m going to rally along that, and I’m going to play my hardest for Tommy, just like I played my hardest for Daniel and whoever goes after that,” Lawrence said, via Giants writer Art Stapleton on X, formerly Twitter.
Giants move on
Dexter Lawrence had regretted Daniel Jones’ benching, but also said that the Giants’ coaches must have done their fair evaluations before deciding to switch him with Tommy DeVito.
“[Daboll] just said it was a hard decision,” the two-time All-Pro said, via Tyler Sullivan for CBS Sports. “I’m sure it’s hard. He’s the QB1. To me, the best quarterback on the team. But they see things differently. I guess that’s all that matters.”
However, an anonymous Giants player said GM Joe Schoen’s financial considerations factored into the decision more heavily than Jones’ on-field play.
Perhaps this player had a point, too, for the former QB1 has a $23-million injury guarantee written into his contract, where the team would have had to pay him guaranteed money if he sustained an injury this season that would also prevent him from passing the NFL physical in the offseason.
Schoen may have finally decided to cut his losses when faced with the prospect of losing money for nothing. At 2-8, too, they have nothing much to play for except a top pick in next year’s draft, provided they continue losing out under Tommy DeVito.
Likewise, they have terrific incentive to lose the rest of the way, for next year’s draft features high-caliber and potential franchise quarterbacks in Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward.
For Daniel Jones himself, though, the hits just keep on coming. If it was unclear that the Giants didn’t want him on the team anymore, they plan to promote practice squad addition Tim Boyle to QB3, practically demoting Jones once again to fourth-string.
This new demotion may have come from the organization’s unwillingness to risk him suffering an injury and triggering the injury guarantee in his contract, but it’s still another tough blow, regardless.
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