Drew Lock has carved out a career spanning half a decade in the NFL by being a reliable backup.
He carved out 28 appearances and 23 starts over four seasons with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, and the opportunity to get more playing time was on the table with the Giants, considering the shaky ground Daniel Jones was standing upon entering the 2024 season.
As expected, Jones could not establish himself as Big Blue’s franchise quarterback, ultimately getting benched during the team’s Week 11 bye following a 2-8 start that has them flirting with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, and with it, the prospect of a new franchise QB.
But while Jones got the boot, ultimately being relegated to the fourth-stringer, Lock remained cemented to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart as he was passed over by third-stringer Tommy DeVito, who appeared in nine games (six starts) for the Giants last season.
“There’s two sides of it always,” Lock said as he processed the disappointment of being stuck in the backup role. “One, my job is to be there for [DeVito] now and help him as much as I can this week, help him on the sidelines on Sunday, and be a good asset to this team in any way possible. That’s where my head’s at still. But at the same time, the other side of the coin is, if you get to be the backup all year, and the time comes, and you end up still being a backup, you’re upset. You want to be playing. Everybody wants to play. There are two sides to that coin, but the one that I’m going to show here is what’s important.”
Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen broke the news to him on Monday, shortly after benching Jones.
“I was professional,” Lock said. “I didn’t scream, didn’t yell. I said, ‘Look, I’m going to do everything I can to help, but I can’t sit here and say that I’m not upset about it. I’m disappointed in the decision.’ Obviously, their decision is their decision. Now, life moves on.”
DeVito’s first test comes this Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose defense has allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL this season. As an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, a strong showing across the final seven weeks of the season could win him a one-year deal as either the bona fide No. 2 quarterback or as a bridge starter while the Giants search for their next main man under center.
Lock, on the other hand, is an unrestricted free agent following this season — a wasted one if he does not get to build on the two very brief appearances he made with the Giants. Still, there are no regrets about his decision to sign with New York.
“Any time you get to be on a new team, learn a new offense, grow as a quarterback, learn from Daniel, learn from these guys in this facility, and keep learning, I feel like that carries weight moving into next year,” Lock said. “This is my fourth offense now. Three West Coast, now you get more of a New England traditional with a little Buffalo. I kind of got it all under the belt now, and that’s something I’d hang my hat on.”
