Is Daniel Jones now the QB4 on the Giants depth chart? Drew Lock was ‘upset’ that he was not named as the starter

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Daniel Jones is no longer the New York Giants’ starting quarterback. That much we already knew. The Giants announced Monday that they had decided to bench Jones in favor of Tommy DeVito.

But just how far Jones had fallen on the depth chart didn’t become apparent until Wednesday, when the Giants held their first practice open to the media since the decision was made.

Jones was the fourth quarterback to take reps during individual drills Wednesday. He waited his turn behind DeVito, Drew Lock and recent practice squad signing Tim Boyle. Team sources said Jones did not participate in team periods during Wednesday’s practice.

Daniel Jones was QB4 today in singles. Behind practice squad QB Tim Boyle in first open practice to the media since being benched pic.twitter.com/iTnlsRvSFq

— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) November 20, 2024

All of which means Jones, the former six-year starter and face of the franchise, might not even serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Giants coach Brian Daboll declined to answer whether that would be his role, saying the team would make depth chart decisions later this week.

Obviously, the $23 million injury guarantee in Jones’ contract could be a factor. If Jones suffers a serious injury and cannot pass a mid-March physical, the Giants would owe him $12 million. The additional $11 million will be guaranteed at the start of the 2025 season. The Giants likely don’t want to roll the dice on Jones getting hurt if they plan to move on from him after the season, which is likely what they plan to do.

It’s certainly a new day at the Meadowlands and the locker room is dealing with their new reality at QB. On Tuesday, team captain Dexter Lawrence expressed his displeasure with the team’s decision.

“You have to respect that as a player, even if you don’t like it,” he said. The All-Pro defensive lineman called Jones, “the best quarterback on the team.”

When asked about Lawrence’s comments, Daboll said Wednesday: “Not everyone is going to agree with the decision, and I understand that. We’ll make the decision we feel is best and then we’ll move forward.”

Daboll said he wasn’t worried about the prospect of losing the locker room in the wake of that decision.

Daboll’s locker room was open Wednesday, giving several players a chance to talk about the QB change. Among them was wide receiver Darius Slayton, who was a fifth-round pick in the same 2019 draft class as Jones and Lawrence. Slayton has been a longtime friend and vocal supporter of Jones. When asked if he thought Jones was the best quarterback in the room, Slayton replied, “Yeah. I think he was our starter for a reason.”

“I believe in DJ,” the broadband receiver continued. “I know he’s a really good footballer, but at the end of the day we didn’t get the results we needed. Things like that only happen because we have two wins. So obviously there will be things, that changes.”

When asked how this decision would affect the Giants locker room, Slayton pointed to the reaction, as the comment he posted — “A free man!” — on former Giants cornerback Nick McCloud’s Instagram.

The #Giants released DB Nick McCloud last week and has since signed on #49ers training team.

His former Giant teammate Darius Slayton, whose name has come up in trade talks for over a year, commented “a free man.” pic.twitter.com/KjO9iWUi14

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) 17 November 2024

McCloud was cut after the team pressured him to take a pay cut for weeks, per Athletics‘s Dan Duggan. Slayton said the Instagram comment was just an inside joke between him and McCloud.

“I think that’s kind of the narrative that’s trying to be pushed right now that we’re all imploding based on my Instagram comment,” Slayton said. “I’m going to be here regardless. I’ve been here for six years, chose to come back here and sign an extension. I’m happy to be here. I’m doing my best to help us win. And who than is back there playing quarterback and in the game I think everybody in here at the end of the day wants to win whether it was you or him or Steve down the street we’re going to drive behind him and do our best for to help him and help Tommy be successful on Sunday.”

In a follow-up, Slayton said the locker room is not imploding and the focus is on winning games over the next seven weeks.

That charge will now be led by DeVito.

“We understand how things went down, and you feel for other people because everybody’s human, and especially in New York, it’s a pretty wild market, with a lot of outside noise and media,” DeVito said. “It can swing either way, but just continue to stay tight, especially in our group. We’re a really tight group in our (QB) room and we cheer each other on.”

Although the group supports each other, it does not mean that everyone is happy with the decision that was made. Jones is not scheduled to speak to the media until Thursday, but Lock, whom the Giants passed up in favor of DeVito, admitted Wednesday that he was “gutted” by the team’s decision.

Lock had served all season as Jones’ top backup, so it appeared he would assume the role of starter when Jones was benched. Obviously, that wasn’t what the Giants wanted.

While Lock was “disappointed” by the decision, he vowed not to let it affect his approach. He said he would do everything he could to support DeVito.

“If you’re going to be the backup all year and the time comes and you still end up being the backup, you’re upset,” Lock said. “You want to play; everyone wants to play. (But) my disappointment will not show one bit, around anyone in this facility or after that meeting upstairs. … I will handle this like a pro. I want to be professional. It’s something I would be proud of. I don’t want to be a guy who tears the dressing room apart.”

Lock said he met individually with Daboll and GM Joe Schoen on Monday. The coach and GM met with each of the team’s three quarterbacks that day to review their decision. When it came to what was the separation between him and DeVito, Lock said coaches kept referring back to last season and the “spark” DeVito gave the team.

“That’s what they know. That’s what they’ve seen,” Lock said. “The time in the preseason. That’s what their decision was based on. That’s what they go with.

“Couldn’t tangibly put it into X’s and O’s, but there was a feeling when he played and I didn’t get to show them.”

Lock added that he has no regrets about signing with New York this offseason and that he doesn’t feel he was misled.

“I’ve always been, ‘Go with your gut,'” Lock said. “Your decision is your decision. What happens in life has to happen. I look at it as something good will come out of this and that’s how I’m going to approach it all today. Live by it. Stay strong in it. Keep pushing.”

(Photo of Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock: Luke Hales/Getty Images)