Backup quarterback for the New England Patriots Tommy DeVito has a problem, and strangely enough, it isn’t his quarterback play.
It’s that his name is Tommy DeVito.
The New England Patriots have suffered enough in the post deflate-gate era, the “Tommy Cutlets” memes and jokes of the backup aren’t doing the team any additional favors. But after Saturday’s 24-21 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles, DeVito needs to stop being treated like a punchline if he keeps playing like this.
It’s time to take him seriously.
Sure, it’s preseason football. Sure, he’s a backup quarterback. But backup quarterbacks only need one badly timed injury (throwing shoulder) to the guy in front and the irrelevant guy suddenly becomes very relevant. If that day comes, Patriots fans should probably know whether DeVito can actually play football.
In Saturday’s win, DeVito finished 8-of-15 for 151 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, earning a 110.7 passer rating. The backup was front and center with zero interceptions… Zero!
In this economy!?!
Maybe hold off on planning the Superbowl parade for a backup quarterback but at least give the guy a fighting chance. Through New England’s first two preseason games, DeVito has completed 21 of 37 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He posted a 92.6 passer rating against Indianapolis and followed that with the 110.7 mark against Philadelphia. Back up. Those aren’t numbers that suddenly make him the starter, but they’re good enough to make this backup quarterback conversation interesting.
This better-looking-DeVito (sorry, Danny) is out there throwing deep 69-yard dimes. Eagles fly at 30 miles per hour. DeVito runs at 19.2 miles per hour. Drake Maye only exceeded that four times last year. Danny DeVito could never.
This is where the “it’s only preseason” argument starts getting a little lazy. DeVito has already started in NFL games. As a rookie with the New York Giants in 2023, DeVito appeared in nine games and started six of them. He went 3-3 as a starter, completed 64% of his passes and threw for 1,101 yards with eight touchdowns against only three interceptions.
Was it spectacular?
No.
Was it competent NFL quarterbacking from an undrafted rookie who was never supposed to become the face of New Jersey Italian-American culture?
Absolutely.
Across his regular-season NFL career, DeVito has completed 65.3% of his passes with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. That matters because the Patriots don’t need him to become the next Tom Brady. They need him to be Tommy DeVito. A backup quarterback’s job isn’t to sell jerseys, overthrow the starting quarterback, and lead a fifteen-year dynasty. His job is to keep the wheels from falling off if the starter can’t play. DeVito has at least shown that he can walk into an NFL game, complete passes, and protect the football. That’s more valuable than the memes make it seem.
DeVito hasn’t been perfect. Against Philadelphia, Patriots.com noted that his completion percentage over expectation was minus-12.4%. He also had a turnover-worthy throw that Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo failed to intercept.
Minor details.
Okay, not entirely minor.
Those are exactly the kinds of mistakes that separate a dependable backup from a legitimate starting NFL quarterback. His career numbers also show one glaring weakness: sacks. During his six-start rookie season with the Giants, DeVito was sacked 37 times.
That is… not ideal.
DeVito isn’t being chanted to replace Drake Maye. That isn’t the argument. The argument is that dismissing him because his career somehow became one giant Italian food joke ignores what he has actually shown on the field. Cheering for the underdog is good for Patriots fandom. Every time the underdog makes a completed pass, Bill Belichick grows another hair on his chest. Sort of like an angel getting its wings. The potential in Devito is there. There’s something especially easy to root for about a player who has spent much of his NFL career being treated like a novelty. The Tommy Cutlets thing was funny. It still is. But eventually the meme has to coexist with the player underneath it.
DeVito has already won NFL games. He has already thrown more than twice as many career touchdowns as interceptions. Through two preseason games with New England, he still hasn’t thrown the ball to the wrong team.
Again: In this economy?!
He may not be the next Brady, but he’s coming into his own. As a potential, as a player, and as something so much more than just a meme. He may never become a franchise quarterback. He may never become a long-term starter. He may spend most of his Patriots career holding a clipboard and wearing a baseball cap on Sundays, but there is value in having a backup quarterback on the roster who can step in without making everyone Google the emergency number for Tom Brady.
It looks somewhat sunny in New England.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
