The New York Giants handed Drew Lock $5 million to serve as their backup quarterback, but only after they had a desire to bring Tyrod Taylor back in 2024 NFL free agency.
Taylor ended up signing with the New York Jets, securing a lucrative contract as a QB2 which includes $8.5 million guaranteed. He stated, “Yes, the Giants did show interest in keeping me. It just didn’t work out on the business side, but it’s nothing but respect for that organization and wishing them the best,” according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Taylor: "Yes, the Giants did show interest in retaining me. It just didn't work out on the business side, but it's nothing of respect for that organization and wishing them the best." The #Jets gave him $8.5M gtd, one of the larger guarantees for a QB2. https://t.co/MyR2HKoktZ
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 21, 2024
It makes sense that the Giants were interested in reuniting with Taylor. He’s a highly professional substitute who proved both capable and popular when stepping in for injured starter Daniel Jones in 2023.
Taylor’s recent comments suggest the Giants had to settle for a cheaper option to maintain NFL-tested depth at football’s most important position. That’s quite the risk given Jones’ inconsistent performances and struggles to stay on the field.
Tyrod Taylor Still Had Value for Giants
Taylor proved to be more than capable at running head coach Brian Daboll’s offense when he helped lead two of the Giants’ six wins last season. The experienced quarterback threw five touchdowns and three interceptions, while completing 64.4 percent of his passes, according to Pro Football Reference.
There was nothing wrong with Taylor’s arm strength in his 13th season. This was evident on plays highlighted by Jets’ chairman Woody Johnson shortly after Taylor’s move to the AFC East.
Keeping Taylor in the mix would have allowed the Giants to feel at ease about what would happen if more misfortune befell Jones. The latter grappled with neck and ACL injuries last season, and was already struggling to protect the football, despite being given a four-year, $160-million contract last offseason.
These issues make the backup quarterback role more important for the Giants than it might seem. It’s potentially crucial, so the decision not to match what the Jets offered Taylor and instead opt for Lock has wide-ranging implications.
Drew Lock Needs to Be Ready to Start
Lock was paid a substantial amount to be ready to start for the Giants. There were also rumors that the former Denver Broncos Seattle Seahawks and quarterback had been “convinced” to take Jones’ position. However, Lock seemed to deny those rumors when he emphatically stated “Daniel Jones is the starter of this team and that’s been communicated to me,” according to SNY.tv’s Giants Videos
These words support reports that the Giants haven’t given up on Jones as their starter. Instead, the Giants have “focused on the 2024 season with Jones as the expected starter,” as reported by Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
Case closed, then? Well, not quite. Lock also revealed he’ll receive “a lot of reps in OTAs,” according to Newsday’s Kim Jones.
If Lock makes good use of those reps to impress, he’ll present the Giants with a dilemma. They’re paying Jones $40 million annually, but he was sacked 30 times and threw six interceptions.
in as many games last season. Persuading Daboll to make a change is possible, but it will be an uphill battle for Lock. He couldn’t win the starting job ahead of for the Seahawks, after being defeated by
Teddy Bridgewater Geno Smith with the Broncos in 2021. If Lock does replace Jones, it will put the Giants in a difficult position to justify why they paid Jones and then released a well-established player like Taylor. The New York Giants were interested in an experienced QB before acquiring Drew Lock in free agency.
If Lock does usurp Jones, it will leave the Giants with a lot of explaining to do about why they paid Jones then let go of a known commodity like Taylor.
