Tommy DeVito’s extraordinary rise as the New York Giants quarterback and a local cult hero has become the new Brock Purdy story of 2023.
DeVito, who was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, has even managed to “out-Purdy’ the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback as the more unexpected success story. But that’s a result of him being an undrafted free agent rookie as opposed to Purdy, who was the final pick in the NFL draft.
Last Sunday, DeVito accomplished something Purdy has yet to do — lead a fourth-quarter comeback. Down by one with 1:33 left, DeVito drove the Giants 57 yards in 10 plays to set up Randy Bullock’s 37-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Green Bay Packers, 24-22, for their third consecutive victory.
Only four starts into his NFL career, DeVito is an ascending star and a true hometown hero, and the North Jersey native has given the Giants (5-8), who play Sunday at New Orleans, plenty of reasons to re-evaluate the future of the quarterback position.
When incumbent starter Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending ACL injury, the Giants were expected to go with Tyrod Taylor and DeVito for the rest of the season and then consider taking one of the top college quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL draft.
But DeVito’s on-field performance has changed everything. And now that the Giants have seen what DeVito can do, here is why he is their best long-term solution at quarterback instead of Daniel Jones.
1. Tommy DeVito is cheaper.
In March, the New York Giants signed incumbent starter Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contact that came with a two-year guarantee, which means they will have to pay him $35 million in 2024 whether he plays or not.
He also carries a salary cap hit of $47 million next season that rises to $69 million if he’s cut by June 1. The contract combined with his injury history makes Jones an untradeable commodity.
Meanwhile, DeVito is playing on a three-year contract worth up to $2.705 million and carries a cap hit next season of $915,000, which would be his base salary.
As long as he is effective, DeVito would obviously be the cheaper and smarter long-term play. The Giants have no choice but to pay Jones an exorbitant amount of money in 2024, and then perhaps cut bait after that.
At the same time, there’s more of a premium on quality backup quarterbacks in today’s NFL, and that alone could justify Jones as a worthy investment in case something happens to DeVito next season.
2. Tommy DeVito is winning.
There’s no discounting what DeVito has done so far on the football field. While it’s only been a small sample size, he’s winning football games, while the Giants weren’t winning with Daniel Jones at quarterback.
In 59 career starts over five seasons, Jones has a 22-36-1 record, which equates to a .373 winning percentage, and it took him 11 games to win as many starts as DeVito has in four starts. This season the Giants were 1-5 in Jones’ starts, and his QB rating (70.5) ranked 38th out of 40 quarterbacks with at least 150 passing attempts.
To go along with his 3-1 record as a starter, DeVito’s QB rating ranks him ninth (96.5), and he’s second to only C.J. Stroud among rookie starters.
Winning breeds confidence, and DeVito’s performance has inspired the Giants to embrace him as their offensive leader. To his teammates, who instantly warmed to his personality, DeVito has been described on the field as “a stone-cold killer” — spoken as a compliment about his ability to focus and lead the offense.
3. Tommy DeVito is a legend.
Everyone loves a local boy who does well, and DeVito has been the consummate example of that so far. He grew up in Livingston, N.J., less than 30 minutes from MetLife Stadium, and still lives at his childhood home.
DeVito, who attracted hundreds of fans to a local sandwich shop, has earned the nickname “Tommy Cutlets” and has captivated the New York Giants fan base in a manner that rivals “Lin-sanity” — when Jeremy Lin burst onto the scene a decade ago for the New York Knicks.
His No. 15 jersey is sure to become a marketing bonanza for the New York Giants — and the NFL — as DeVito’s popularity continues to soar.
DeVito has quickly become the face and the heartbeat of the New York Giants. And if he continues to win football games, the Giants have zero reason to return to Daniel Jones as their quarterback of the future, regardless of the financial cost.