The Giants entered the 2023 NFL season hoping that Daniel Jones could build on the success he enjoyed during the previous campaign.
Instead, Jones has had a trying year. He struggled with turnovers and sacks during the early stages of the season before suffering a neck injury that kept him out of action for three weeks.
Jones returned to play in Week 9 against the Raiders; however, he lasted just a quarter before suffering a non-contact knee injury on the first play of the second quarter.
Jones' injury will end his season. The Giants confirmed Monday that the quarterback has a torn ACL, so the team's $160 million man will need to spend the offseason recovering from that issue.
MORE: Daniel Jones ruled out vs. Raiders after knee buckles on dropback
Jones' status will be of concern for the Giants long-term, but his short-term prognosis will be important for them as well. Why? Well, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor is also hurt and is on IR for at least three more games.
As such, the Giants could be trusting its third-string quarterback to lead them in Jones' absence. That could make it difficult to win even with some easier matchups upcoming.
Here's what to know about the Giants' quarterback depth chart and when the team can expect to have Jones and Taylor back in action.
Giants QB depth chart
1. Tommy DeVito
DeVito entered the 2023 NFL season as the Giants' third-string quarterback and on the team's practice squad. Entering Week 10, he will be in the running for the team's starting quarterback position.
DeVito, a 25-year-old undrafted free agent from Syracuse and Illinois, signed with the Giants after the 2023 NFL Draft and earned a practice squad spot after impressing in the preseason. Through limited action in two NFL games, he has completed 17 of 27 passes for 174 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while adding 29 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
DeVito's greatest asset at present might be his mobility, so the Giants would probably look to be a ground-dominant team if they start the young quarterback. His top goals outside of that will be to cut down on his sacks suffered (eight to date) and to avoid turnovers (he has a 7.4 interception percentage.)
Frankly, that's a tough ask for the green DeVito; that's part of the reason that the Giants could consider turning to a veteran option to quarterback the team with Jones and Taylor out.
2. Matt Barkley
The Giants added Barkley to their practice squad just ahead of Week 9 to replenish some of their quarterback depth. Now, he might be the best passer on the Giants depth chart.
Barkley, 33, has been around the league for a decade. He was a fourth-round pick by the Eagles in the 2013 NFL Draft and has been with 10 teams throughout it. He has experience in Brian Daboll's system from their three years together with the Bills from 2018 to 2020, so he should be a plug-and-play option for the Giants if called upon to start.
During his career, Barkley has a 2-5 record as a starting quarterback. He has completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 2,699 yards and 11 touchdowns but has tossed a whopping 22 interceptions. That has largely made him an average to below-average quarterback.
So, trusting Barkley may not sound ideal, but he may be the steadiest option that the Giants have — provided that his accuracy and decision-making don't hamstring him too much. As a result, few should be surprised if he unseats DeVito as the team's starter. That won't happen in Week 10 but it could happen further down the road.
3. Jacob Eason
The Giants signed Eason to the practice squad on Tuesday to provide more depth behind DeVito and Barkley. However, Eason, like DeVito, has never started, so he seems more like a developmental depth option on the roster.
Eason has completed 5 of 10 career passes for 84 yards and two interceptions. It's unlikely that he will see the field barring injuries to DeVito and Barkley.
MORE: Everything to know about Giants QB Tommy DeVito
How long is Daniel Jones out?
Jones suffered a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the 2023 NFL season at a minimum. He will shift his focus toward rehabbing and getting ready for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.
The Cleveland Clinic reports that athletes tend to recover from torn ACLs in six to nine months. Jones will have about 10 months to get in shape for Week 1; provided that there isn't additional damage to the knee revealed during surgery, he should be ready to reprise his role as Giants starter by the time the start of next season rolls around.
How long is Tyrod Taylor out?
Taylor's timetable is a bit more in flux. He is dealing with a rib injury that landed him on IR, so he has to miss at least four games before he is eligible to return. Beyond that, it isn't certain whether he will be able to return to action in 2023.
Taylor's first missed game came in Week 9 against the Raiders. The Giants will play against the Cowboys, Commanders and Patriots over the next three weeks before getting their late-season bye in Week 13. As a result, Taylor won't return to action until Week 15 at the earliest, and he could be out longer pending the prognosis of his neck injury.
Either way, Taylor's absence figures to be a considerable one and it should give the Giants an idea of what their offense might look like.
MORE: How the Giants combined for negative-9 passing yards against the Jets
Best NFL free agent QBs
Of course, the Giants may also look to add another quarterback to the practice squad in case either DeVito or Barkley gets hurt. It wouldn't be bad to have that insurance with Taylor's status uncertain as well.
Carson Wentz was the best-known of the remaining quarterbacks on the market, but he signed with the Rams ahead of Week 10. That leaves players like Colt McCoy and Nick Foles as the best options available; each has more starting experience than the seven combined that Barkley and DeVito have.
Below is a smattering of the top free agent quarterbacks that New York might pursue after losing Jones and Taylor.
- Matt Ryan
- Colt McCoy
- Nick Foles
That said, none of these players would be a needle-mover for the Giants, who are positioning themselves to be one of the NFC's worst teams in 2023. So, they might be content to stick it out with what they have or to sign a young player with upside, like Will Grier or Ben DiNucci, off another team's practice squad.
But no matter how you look at it, the Giants are thin at quarterback. That doesn't figure to get much better during the 2023 NFL season.
