New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen signed Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract in March of 2023, signaling a belief that they had their franchise quarterback. The contract extension came shortly after ‘Danny Dimes’ led the Giants to a Wild Card win.
Yet, the Giants have gone just 3-13 since Jones signed the contract, and they enter the Week 12 NFL schedule with the NFL’s worst offense, averaging just 15.6 points per game under coach Brian Daboll. While there’s some thought that the Giants would be better off cleaning house and hiring a new GM and head coach, they’re making other personnel changes instead, starting with their quarterback.
Related: See where Daniel Jones ranked in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings
New York Giants bench Daniel Jones, turn to Tommy DeVito
The move that was previously hinted at has actually happened. While the New York Giants were on their bye in Week 11, the front office went back to the drawing board, determining how they should handle a season that’s quickly spiraled out of control in the form of a 2-8 record.
Now, according to several outlets, the Giants are officially benching Daniel Jones for the remainder of the 2024 season. Second-year undrafted player Tommy DeVito will get the first crack at being the Giants’ starting quarterback, which is notable considering he had previously been the third-string QB on the depth chart, behind Drew Lock.
The Giants essentially have to say benching Daniel Jones is a "football decision", because there are rules protecting players from losing starting jobs for contractual reasons. But obviously, Jones' $23 million injury guarantee for 2025 was a major factor in doing this now.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 18, 2024
Meanwhile, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see Jones play another snap in a Giants uniform. Even if DeVito was removed from the game, whether it’s due to poor play or an injury, chances are Lock would be the next man up.
While Jones clearly hasn’t been able to spark Brian Daboll’s vanilla offense, this move is largely about trying to make sure ‘Danny Dimes’ doesn’t suffer another serious injury. The Giants’ plan seems to involve moving on from Jones this offseason, either by cutting or trying to trade him for a late-round pick. Yet, it remains to be seen how much trade interest there is in a player with a $41.6 million cap hit in 2025 and a $58.6M cap hit in 2026.
Related: New York Giants coaching candidates to replace Brian Daboll