The New York Giants had no shortage of issues to address during the Week 11 bye, none greater than a switch under center.
On Monday, they made that pivot a reality, benching quarterback Daniel Jones, per Adam Schefter.
However, the move didn't elevate veteran backup Drew Lock into a starting role. Instead, cult hero Tommy DeVito will take the reins in Week 12 when New York hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
DeVito's promotion is rather surprising given the underlying metrics of last year's performance and the veteran presence listed ahead of him on the depth chart.
It's also rather telling of how the Giants stand ahead of the second half of the season.
Primarily, it's important to note that it's likely Lock's fault there was never a quarterback controversy in New York.
Lock was full-throated in his acknowledgement of the backup role. Upon his arrival, he made it clear that he had no intentions of competing for Jones' starting spot. But as Jones struggled this season - headlined by back-to-back home losses scoring seven and three points, respectively - the locker room didn't buckle under the weight of a potential quarterback change.
If Lock was lighting it up with the second-stringers in practice and making veterans feel like an internal option offered more hope than Jones, the rumblings would have been obvious and he'd be starting on Sunday. Instead, he was leapfrogged by the third-string quarterback whose rise to fame has more to do with his ancestry than his acumen.
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It'll be DeVito's "spark" that grants him this opportunity. While he didn't play well, he did enough to take advantage of a team that played better around him in 2023. This time around, he'll have the opportunity to carve out a backup role - especially if the quarterback change invigorates the locker room.
Even so, New York has some soul searching to do under center. Lock was a $5 million insurance policy who was sparsely used and never impressive in a Giants uniform. Another swing-and-miss at QB2 when it actually matters could prove costly.
Further, benching Jones for DeVito can be seen as a vote of confidence. This second half could reflect poorly on the current administration, but if head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen needed wins to keep their jobs, DeVito probably wouldn't get the call.
DeVito will have the tough task of retaining his goodwill while facing a difficult second-half stretch. If he comes out of it alive, he could very well be a rookie quarterback's main competition in 2025.