The New York Giants finally saw the light and benched quarterback Daniel Jones. This should be no surprise, as Jones has been terrible this season. They are now starting quarterback Tommy DeVito in their upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, this benching continues to make an offseason signing involving quarterback Drew Lock more head-scratching to Giants fans.

Drew Lock’s Contract With The New York Giants

In the offseason, the Giants signed Drew Lock to a one-year, five-million-dollar contract. $4.95 million of it is guaranteed, and there are many incentives to that deal.

Incentives Of The Contract

Playing Time Incentives (cumulative)

  • $250,000 each for 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%+ snaps

Passing Incentives (cumulative)

  • 92.5 Passer Rating: $250,000
  • 65% Completion Rate: $250,000
  • 88 Passer Rating + 15 TD Passes: $250,000
  • 88 Passer Rating + 2,000 Pass Yards: $250,000

Team Incentives (cumulative)

  • 55%-69% Snaps + a Playoff Berth: $500,000
  • 70%+ Snaps + a Playoff Berth: $500,000

It’s A Financial Reason Why He’s Not Starting

The Giants benched Jones mainly for financial reasons. Not starting Drew Lock is another financial decision when considering his Playing Time and Passing incentives. It’s not the Team Incentives, as there is no chance the Giants will make the playoffs. Avoiding the financial incentives will help the Giants save money, and Schoen has to adjust the roster for cap space reasons. For a team going nowhere, it’s super smart for the organization to do.

It Makes Sense Why The Giants Signed Him

New York Giants

Lock was viewed as an insurance policy if Jones got injured or benched. Now that it has happened and DeVito is starting, it just makes that signing a complete waste. That money could have been used elsewhere to improve the team’s depth on offense and defense. However, the New York Giants realized that the 2023 NFL season was the year of the backup quarterbacks, and Drew Lock had starting experience.

You can’t deny that Tommy Devito is over with the Giants fan base, and DeVito was solid last season. He had a 3-3 record and threw for 1,101 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 picks.

This whole saga is a complete mess, and honestly, it is a bit overblown. Also, can people please stop complaining that the Giants could have used that 5 million to bring back Saquon? If you watched Hard Knocks’ offseason version, it’s obvious the Giants were not going to increase their contract negotiations to resign him.

It is also clear that Daniel Jones won’t be the only quarterback departing the team this offseason. There’s no chance Lock stays, as it is clear he’s unhappy. Lock called the move the Giants made an “interesting situation.” Honestly, it will be an exciting situation if DeVito goes down with an injury. If that happens, Lock should be the starter. He definitely will start over Tim Boyle, that is for sure.

NFL News