In what has already been a painful season for the New York Giants, the team suffered yet another setback in Las Vegas on Sunday. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones tore his right ACL, prematurely ending his season for the second time in three years. With New York’s hopes for competitiveness this season already fading, Sunday’s events were the final blow, dropping Big Blue to 2-7 with no clear starting quarterback.
While many fans may already be looking forward to the NFL draft, the Giants still have a critical stretch of games for evaluating their offensive personnel. Whether it’s Jones or a rookie under center next year, the Giants must assess who will be a part of the team’s effort to finally build a functional offense. Impending free agents such as Isaiah Hodgins and Saquon Barkley will have to finish strong to stick around, while young playmakers like Jalin Hyatt and Daniel Bellinger must continue their development. In order to give these guys a fair shot, competent QB play will be needed. Here are five names who could get the chance to finish the season as the New York Giants quarterback.
Tommy DeVito
Tommy DeVito will almost certainly be given the first opportunity to start, having served as the backup quarterback for the past four weeks and closing out the last two games after injuries to the starter. The New Jersey native went undrafted this spring after five years of NCAA experience split between Syracuse and Illinois. In limited action at the NFL level, DeVito has completed 17 of 27 passes for 174 yards, along with a touchdown and two interceptions. He’s also added a touchdown on the ground. But, his rushing ability was not a prominent feature of his game at the collegiate level.
During his most recent action in Vegas, DeVito showed moments of promise, including an impressive improvised touchdown pass to Wan’dale Robinson.
Tommy DeVito touchdown, to Wan'Dale Robinson!pic.twitter.com/YIyQBFN1klhttps://t.co/FciE3ly15F
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 5, 2023
He also made a critical error, however, with an underthrown ball to Jalin Hyatt resulting in an interception that effectively sealed the game for the Raiders. Whether or not he’s the most talented candidate for the job is certainly up for debate, but his familiarity with the coaching staff and playbook gives him an early leg up on the competition. Having joined the team during the rookie minicamp in May makes a major difference and should seal the job for DeVito, at least initially.
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor would have been the obvious choice if not for his recent rib cage injury sustained against the New York Jets, which landed him on IR and will keep him sidelined for a minimum of three more weeks. He played two respectable games while filling in for Jones earlier in the season, and has a long resume to back up his reputation as one of the NFL’s most reliable backups. Some may even argue that he outplayed Jones in his starts, nearly orchestrating an improbable upset against the Buffalo Bills and securing a victory against their divisional rival in the Washington Commanders. Situations like this are exactly the reason why the team brought on Taylor as one of the league’s highest-paid backups. He has been a steadying presence, always capable of stepping into a game when needed while also being okay with his role as a backup.
All of that sounds great, but the best ability in the NFL is availability, and Taylor has struggled with that in his career. When asked about Taylor’s health, Head Coach Brian Daboll wouldn’t reveal much but the team did place him on IR. If he’s able to fully recover this season, expect him to immediately take over for the remainder of the season.
Matt Barkley
If Taylor isn’t able to heal this season and DeVito shows he’s not ready to command an NFL offense, a-la Jake Fromm in 2021, Matt Barkley would be the Giants insurance policy. Another seasoned veteran, Barkley has been in the league since 2013. While a decade of experience will go a long way on this team, he only has appeared in 19 games, with seven being starts. His most recent game action came in 2020, during which the USC alumnus completed 11 of 21 passes for 197 yards across five games with the Buffalo Bills.
What made Barkley stand out above other veteran options is his past with head coach Brian Daboll. Barkley was in Buffalo from 2018-2021, all four of Daboll’s years as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator. While Daboll’s offensive playsheet has definitely evolved since then, Daboll’s familiarity and comfort with Barkley remain the same. Needing a quarterback on such short notice presents a daunting challenge, but Barkley’s prior experience should lead to a smoother transition, at the very least. It also would be pretty cool to have a Barkley-Barkley (no relation) backfield, regardless of the results.
Jacob Eason
Jacob Eason was signed to New York’s practice squad Tuesday afternoon, circling back to the squad after a workout with them in the spring. While he seems like nothing more than an emergency option, Tommy DeVito was in the same situation at one point and now is the leading candidate to start, so it would be careless to not mention Eason.
The 6’6 gunslinger played college ball at Georgia and Washington, throwing for just over 5,500 yards in 29 games played (26 starts). After getting injured and losing his starting spot to future Giant Jake Fromm, Eason transferred out of Georgia. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Indianapolis Colts he has bounced around the league ever since. He’s only attempted ten passes in the NFL, completing five and throwing two interceptions. There really isn’t much to talk about with him; he has some unique and desirable physical traits due to his size and above-average arm strength, but he has done nothing to show he can translate these skills to the NFL level. Eason taking any snaps this year would signify that the season has gone even further off the rails, but considering how things have gone for the Giants so far, this wouldn’t be particularly surprising.
Max Duggan
Why not have fun with this last one? Rookie Max Duggan out of TCU is currently sitting on the Chargers practice squad, meaning he can be signed to any active roster. Duggan was absolutely electric at TCU in 2022, compiling over 4,100 yards and 40 touchdowns combined for a TCU team that made it all the way to the National Championship Game. What happened at that game is much more forgettable, but Duggan was a fierce competitor and Heisman Trophy finalist during his senior year.
His dual-threat ability is reminiscent of Daniel Jones, so he could at least attempt to carry out a similar offensive game plan. Observers have also constantly praised his ability to lead by example and command a huddle. If things aren’t going well for New York, Duggan at least deserves some consideration as a developmental option and certainly brings some fun back to the position of New York Giants quarterback.
Thanks for reading! For more on Big Blue and New York Sports in general, follow me on Twitter! Keep up with Belly Up Sports on Twitter as well for even more. Keep up to date with the NFL on Belly Up Sports for the latest analysis and discussion. Featured image credit: Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images.
