Daniel Jones was benched by the Giants with Tommy DeVito shockingly expected to start

On By Littum

Daniel Jones is headed to the bench, and he may never start another game for the Giants.

After a bye week late in another losing season, the Giants have decided to bench Jones and turn to fan favorite Tommy DeVito as their starting quarterback, The Post confirmed.

Former general manager Dave Gettleman once said it would take three years “of figuring out how crazy I am” to select Jones No. 6 overall in 2019. It took twice as long as Gettleman predicted and a lot of excuses. , but the six-year Jones Era is likely over.

Giants bench Daniel Jones AP

It would be shortsighted of the Giants (2-8) to even activate Jones for any of their remaining seven games, including Sunday against the Buccaneers.

DeVito — a fan favorite who went 3-3 as a rookie starter last season — could last the rest of the season and help determine where within the top 10 the Giants draft in 2025.

Tommy DeVito takes over as Giants starting quarterback. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

The Giants passed on season-long second-stringer Drew Lock for DeVito.

The four-year, $160 million extension Jones signed after his well-timed career year in 2022 — highlighted by a stellar performance in the Giants’ only playoff win since winning Super Bowl XLVI in 2011 — includes a $23 million injury guarantee.

If he’s injured and can’t pass a March physical, then the Giants’ dead salary cap to release him goes from a manageable $22 million to an unmanageable $45 million.

But benching the oft-injured Jones is a “football decision” — not strictly a business decision — as general manager Joe Schoen said last week.

The Giants are 3-13 in Jones’ 16 starts since signing the extension. He has 10 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

By comparison, the Giants are 5-6 with 13 touchdown passes and six interceptions over that time frame when someone else (Tyrod Taylor and DeVito) starts. The 11 starts happened when offensive coordinator Mike Kafka called the plays, but now head coach Brian Daboll will be in DeVito’s ear.

Daniel Jones is in his sixth season with the Giants. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

Giants fans, lashing out on social media and booing at home games, have made it known they are done with Jones, even though he is far from the team’s only flaw. As usual during Jones’ tenure, the Giants have one of the NFL’s lowest scoring offenses (15.6 points per game).

If the book is closed on Jones, he will finish 24-44-1 with 70 passing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, 51 fumbles (26 lost) and 47 interceptions.

Drew Lock was passed over as the Giants starter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

He hasn’t had a three-touchdown passing game since Week 16 of his rookie season.

Jones had three different head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, Daboll) and five different offensive play callers (Shurmur, Jason Garrett, Freddie Kitchens, Kafka and Daboll).

Schoen replaced Gettleman and declined the fifth-year option on Jones’ rookie contract before the 2022 season, but ultimately reversed course and gave him franchise quarterback money.

Jones and Dexter Lawrence are the longest-tenured Giants, as 2019 first-round draft picks.

Daniel Jones is fired by the Bengals in a loss. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Lock, who will likely remain the backup over Jones, is 9-14 as a starter in his career, including 1-1 last season for the Seahawks. He appeared in one game this season.