Giants Could Start Quarterback Tommy DeVito Over Daniel Jones

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll made a bold decision earlier this season when he benched quarterback Daniel Jones late in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite this move, Daboll has consistently affirmed that Jones remains the team’s starting quarterback. However, as the season progresses and the Giants’ playoff hopes continue to fade, there is growing speculation and debate among NFL analysts, experts, and fans about whether Jones should remain under center. One notable voice in this conversation comes from Evan Roberts, a prominent sports radio host for WFAN, who has been vocal in suggesting that the Giants should give a shot to hometown quarterback Tommy DeVito instead of continuing to roll with Jones.

Roberts, who co-hosts the “Evan & Tiki” show on WFAN, presented a nuanced take on why he believes it’s time to move on from Daniel Jones, at least for the rest of the season. While he acknowledged that Jones is not necessarily a terrible quarterback, Roberts’ argument hinges on the broader reality that the Giants are now 2-7, a record that likely eliminates them from playoff contention. He contended that it’s not about Daniel Jones’ individual performance or even about his potential to make plays with his legs, something that has been a key part of Jones’ skill set throughout his career. Rather, Roberts argued, the issue is that continuing to expose Jones to risk—especially given the team’s already bleak chances of making the playoffs—could be detrimental in the long term, both to the team’s future and to Jones’ health.

“It’s not about Daniel Jones sucking. It’s not about him being mediocre,” Roberts said on the November 4 episode of the show. “It’s not even about him not giving them the best chance to win, because he does. It’s because, for the last six years, Daniel Jones’ best quality is making plays with his legs… and I feel like that’s unsustainable when you’re 2-7, when you’re not making the playoffs anymore, and you can’t afford to get this guy hurt because of what it does to your salary cap.”

Roberts’ stance is rooted in the larger concern that Jones’ playing style, which relies heavily on his mobility and ability to escape the pocket, is a double-edged sword. While Jones has made some electrifying runs during his career, this same style puts him at greater risk of injury. And as Roberts pointed out, with the Giants already well behind in the playoff race, continuing to risk Jones’ health by exposing him to unnecessary contact seems like a bad decision, particularly when his contract situation is factored into the equation. If Jones were to get injured and miss significant time, it would not only set back the Giants’ season but also potentially damage their financial flexibility in the future, given the large financial commitment they made to him with a four-year, $160 million deal.

Given these concerns, Roberts argues that the Giants should turn to Tommy DeVito, a hometown hero who has been on the roster as a backup quarterback. DeVito, who grew up in New Jersey and played college football at Syracuse, has been widely regarded as a raw but potentially intriguing quarterback prospect. His familiarity with the New York area and his potential for development in a lower-pressure role make him an attractive option for a team that is looking to the future rather than trying to salvage a lost season.

“It’s time for Tommy DeVito,” Roberts concluded, despite the fact that head coach Brian Daboll had already announced that Daniel Jones would start in the team’s upcoming game in Germany against the Panthers. According to Roberts, the Giants should be focusing on player development and long-term growth rather than continuing to trot out Jones week after week with little hope of making a playoff push. While DeVito’s ceiling as a quarterback remains uncertain, Roberts believes that it’s worth giving him a shot in a lost season, especially when the risk of continuing to start Jones outweighs the potential rewards.

However, this opinion was not shared by everyone in the studio. Co-host Tiki Barber, a former NFL running back and longtime New York Giants player, expressed his disagreement with Roberts’ perspective. Barber argued that the Giants should not simply “concede” the season and that benching Jones for a lesser-known backup would send the wrong message to the team.

“You can’t just concede losing,” Barber said. “You can’t just say ‘I’m gonna put us in a worse position to try and win football games.’ What the Giants can’t do is put themselves more in no-man’s land. They’re kind of there now, because you know that Daniel Jones is likely not here for the future, but he still gives you the best chance to win. And Brian Daboll still wants to win. He’s coaching to try and win football games.”

Barber’s argument is rooted in the idea that while the Giants’ playoff chances are slim, the team is still in the middle of a season, and it’s important to maintain a competitive mindset. According to Barber, benching Jones would be conceding defeat, and it could further alienate a locker room that is already struggling with the reality of a losing season. There’s also the reality that DeVito, despite his potential, has limited experience at the NFL level. Starting him over Jones, who at least has experience as a starting quarterback, could be seen as a move to abandon all hope of winning games and developing the team’s future at the same time.

This disagreement highlights the larger debate about how the Giants should approach the rest of the season. Should they focus on giving young players a chance to develop and potentially build for the future? Or should they try to salvage what they can of the current season and attempt to make the most of what is left, even if that means sticking with a quarterback whose future with the team may be uncertain?

Adding another layer to this discussion is the perspective of ESPN insider Dan Graziano, who, like Roberts, is not entirely convinced that Daniel Jones is the guaranteed starter for the rest of the season. In a November 6 feature, Graziano shared his insights after spending some time with the Giants. While he acknowledged that Jones has been the team’s starter, he noted that the Giants are still weighing their options and could eventually decide to move in a different direction. Graziano pointed out that the team barely let Jones throw the ball in the first half of their game against the Washington Commanders, which raised further questions about how much confidence the coaching staff has in Jones moving forward.

“After spending some time around the team over the weekend, I’m not convinced [Jones] is the locked-in starter for the rest of the season ahead of backup Drew Lock,” Graziano said. “The Giants barely let Jones throw the ball in the first half against the Commanders, and while he put up some good fourth-quarter numbers, New York was behind and had to throw.”

Graziano’s comments reinforce the notion that Jones’ role in the offense is increasingly under scrutiny. While he has been given the opportunity to prove he is the team’s long-term answer at quarterback, the lack of confidence from the coaching staff—especially in crucial moments of games—suggests that the Giants might be reaching a crossroads. The decision to bench Jones in favor of a backup quarterback like Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito could ultimately hinge on the team’s evaluation of Jones’ performance over the remainder of the season, as well as their desire to protect their financial and player assets going forward.

Despite the public assurances from Brian Daboll that Daniel Jones remains the starter, the ongoing discussions about his future with the Giants reveal the complexity of the team’s situation. The Giants are caught in a difficult position—one where their starting quarterback may not be the answer, but where there is no easy solution moving forward. Whether or not Tommy DeVito eventually gets a chance to start remains to be seen, but as the season wears on, the debate over who should be the Giants’ quarterback of the future will only grow louder.