New York Giants

New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was diagnosed with a dislocated elbow after missing the end of Thursday's 27-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, per Jordan Raana of ESPN.

Dexter Lawrence said he dislocated his elbow. His elbow was wrapped and in a sling. Will undergo further tests in next few days.#Giants pic.twitter.com/0rpmY6RwJJ

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 29, 2024

Lawrence will undergo further testing.

He had recorded three total tackles, two of which were solo, prior to exiting in the third quarter. He was ultimately ruled out for the game.

New York was down 20-10 at the time of the injury. That deficit would grow to 27-10 at the end of the third quarter and the team would eventually fall 27-20.

Lawrence was a first-round pick in 2019 and has missed just two games in his career. He has 44 tackles, 16 quarterback hits and a career-high nine sacks thus far in 2024.

New York will hope that his injury absence will not extend past Thursday's game, although some extra rest before the team's Dec. 8 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers should at least help.

Tom Brady isn't a fan of how everything played out during the split between the New York Giants and Daniel Jones.

The legendary quarterback was in Fox's broadcast booth during the game between the Giants and Dallas Cowboys and opened up about the entire situation, which resulted in Jones signing with the Minnesota Vikings after New York president John Mara announced the team granted his request for a release after he was benched.

"I don't know how the whole situation went down, but to think that you would ask for a release from a team that committed a lot to you is maybe different than how I would've handled that," Brady said.

"I always felt I wanted to get the trust and respect of my teammates, regardless of the situation, knowing that I was doing the best I could for the team because that was the most important thing.

"There's just some different things that happen in the NFL, and everyone makes individual choices. And I think we're all at points in our career, face different challenges. I faced them in college. Some things didn't go the way I wanted, but the people that mattered the most to me were the guys in the locker room. I showed up every day. I don't care if they asked me to be scout team safety, scout team quarterback. I was going to do whatever I could to help the team win."

The release happened after Giants head coach Brian Daboll announced Tommy DeVito would start over Jones.

What's more, New York used Jones as a scout-team safety during a practice after they benched him.

It's surely not the end the NFC East team envisioned when it gave Jones a four-year, $160 million contract in March 2023. That deal also featured a $23 million injury guarantee for the 2025 season that would have kicked in if he suffered an injury that prevented him from passing a physical during the upcoming offseason.

Brady brought up the money and wanting to set a positive example for his teammates, but Jones is still just 27 years old and will want to prove himself elsewhere. Getting released allowed him to sign with a playoff contender in the Vikings, even if he is just a backup.

Minnesota gets some injury insurance with an experienced option to fall back on if Sam Darnold is sidelined down the stretch, and Jones can learn from another highly drafted player who didn't live up to expectations in New York as a potential blueprint for the next stage of his career.

Brady was also never in the same situation as Jones, as he became the face of the league during his time on the New England Patriots and ended up winning seven Super Bowls during his illustrious career.

It was clear Jones' time as a key part of the Giants was coming to an end, and he and the team both made choices with an eye on the future.

The New York Giants will start Drew Lock against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving as Tommy DeVito has been relegated to emergency quarterback due to a forearm injury suffered during Sunday's 30-7 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

GIANTS INACTIVES:
QB Tommy DeVito (emergency 3rd QB)
TE Greg Dulcich
CB Deonte Banks
S Anthony Johnson
CB Tre Hawkins III
G Jake Kubas
T Jermaine Eluemunor

COWBOYS INACTIVES:
RB Deuce Vaughn
G Zack Martin
TE Jake Ferguson
DE Marshawn Kneeland
WR Ryan Flournoy
CB Trevon Diggs
CB… pic.twitter.com/AAxILzCjwA

— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) November 28, 2024

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jordan Raanan first reported that Lock would start against the Cowboys. Raanan previously reported on Wednesday that DeVito was considered a "longshot" to play. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo previously reported that DeVito would travel to Dallas separate from the rest of the team so he can undergo additional testing on his forearm.

DeVito left the Sunday's loss for one play in the fourth quarter after having the wind knocked out of him, but he was unable to pinpoint exactly when the forearm issue occurred.

"I don't really remember a specific play," he told reporters. "It's kind of just adding up all the hits."

The Giants didn't have DeVito on their initial injury report released on Monday, but he was added to the list on Tuesday as a limited participant.

Since the Giants only had a walkthrough on Wednesday rather than a full practice, their injury report was a projection of what they expected would have happened. DeVito was listed as not participating.

Sunday marked DeVito's first start of the season after the Giants announced they were releasing Daniel Jones. The 26-year-old became a cult figure in New York after leading a three-game winning streak last season, but he didn't have the same impact this time around.

The Giants had their third-worst offensive performance of the season by total yards (245) and points (seven) against the Giants. It was also their third loss by at least 20 points.

Lock would make his first start of the season after appearing in three games previously. He has only attempted nine passes, completing four of them for nine yards.

The 28-year-old Lock is in his sixth NFL season. He is 9-14 as a starter with 28 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in 31 career games.

New York and Dallas will play on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET from AT&T Stadium. The Giants haven't won a road game against the Cowboys since Week 1 of the 2016 season.

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning may not be inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

One Pro Football Hall of Fame voter told ESPN's Jordan Raanan that the "hurdles are significant" for Manning to be voted into the Class of 2025.

Raanan noted, however, that "the general consensus seems to be Manning will eventually get into the Hall, even if it's not this year."

Manning is one of six first-year eligible Modern-Era candidates named to the list of 25 semifinalists published last Wednesday. The list will be reduced to 15 finalists later this year, and candidates must receive 80 percent selection committee approval before they can be inducted.

According to Raanan, Manning's lack of All-Pro nominations and his regular-season career record of 117-117 "hurt in the eyes of several voters."

Per Raanan, another obstacle to Manning's first-year candidacy is that he never completed a regular season as the undisputed top quarterback in the sport. Manning did not finish a campaign any higher than sixth in quarterback rating, and was only rated among the top 10 quarterbacks four times in 16 seasons.

He also never ranked first in the NFL in touchdowns, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage or yards per game, but led the league in interceptions in 2007, 2010 and 2013.

"It was noted on multiple occasions during our straw poll conversations that Manning led the NFL in interceptions three times during his career and was 12th all time in that category with 244 when he retired," Raanan wrote.

Manning will still likely eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame due to his record in the postseason, where he is one of 12 quarterbacks in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowls and one of six players to win multiple Super Bowl MVPs.

Jim Plunkett, who won two Super Bowls and one Super Bowl MVP with the Oakland Raiders, is the only eligible quarterback with multiple championships not in the Hall of Fame.

Like Manning should the 2025 vote not go his way, Plunkett could still eventually receive a gold jacket in a later year of eligibility. He was one of 60 players named to the second round of voting for the Seniors category of the Class of 2025.

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers has "no regrets."

The rookie pass-catcher turned heads after Sunday's 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he said the team's play was "soft as f--k."

Malik Nabers is asked to describe the Giants' loss today:

"Soft as f--k" pic.twitter.com/HnbrpoGYX0

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 24, 2024

Nabers revealed Tuesday that he met with general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll but added, "I still stand by what I said," per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. "I have no regrets with what I said."

The LSU product was surely frustrated with the offense's overall performance in the first game since New York parted ways with Daniel Jones.

The Tommy DeVito-led group managed just one touchdown throughout the game, and it came on a short run from Devin Singletary. Nabers had six catches for 64 yards, which marked the fourth time in the last five contests he failed to reach the 70-yard mark.

His last game with more than 100 receiving yards came on Sept. 26 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Madelyn Burke of MSG Network noted Nabers explained Tuesday why he feels it is so important to get involved early when he said, "After a few plays in the offense, after you get hit, it's like alright I'm ready to go."

Those comments come after he expressed frustration Sunday about receiving the ball too late in the game:

"I started getting the ball when it's 30-0. What do you want me to do?"

Malik Nabers follows up when asked why he didn't have a catch until the second half: "Talk to Dabs about that" pic.twitter.com/HNHOPGXysT

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 24, 2024

The end result was yet another loss for a 2-9 Giants team that is simply playing out the string on a lost season.

Nabers is one of the only sources of optimism, as the No. 6 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft has flashed his immense potential with acrobatic catches despite poor overall quarterback play. Whoever the next signal-caller is for the Giants will surely benefit from his presence, especially if he improves as expected with more experience.

For now, he will focus on turning things around when New York faces the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.

The New York Giants are not "100 percent" certain quarterback Tommy DeVito will be available to face the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday as he recovers from a right forearm injury, according to head coach Brian Daboll.

Daboll said he is still "hopeful" DeVito will start, per The Athletic's Dan Duggan.

DeVito told reporters on Tuesday that his forearm and "whole body" are sore, per SNY's Connor Hughes.

When asked if he could throw at full velocity, DeVito answered, "We'll see."

"I'm not sure. I haven't fully tested it," DeVito said, per MSG Network's Madelyn Burke.

Tommy DeVito says his forearm and “whole body” are sore.

He said the plan is to play.

Hope he feels better when he wakes up tomorrow.

Didn’t really throw today. Will tomorrow

Said he’s “not sure” he can throw with full velocity pic.twitter.com/ZdT9IaLdDP

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) November 26, 2024

DeVito was slated to get his second straight start since the Giants benched, and later waived, former QB1 Daniel Jones.

Should DeVito remain limited, Drew Lock could get his first start of the season.

"If we were practicing today — and it's a walk-through — he would be limited," Daboll told reporters, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com. "His forearm is sore, and we'll see where we're at. It is sore."

Daboll added that DeVito had thrown earlier on Tuesday, but that he "wouldn't say there was timing or a lot of depth to it or velocity to it," per Slater.

"He's going to test it today in practice," Daboll concluded.

DeVito made his first start of the season on Sunday as the Giants were held to just seven points in a Week 12 blowout by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He went 21-of-31 for 189 yards and led the Giants on one fourth-quarter touchdown drive while taking multiple hits from the Bucs.

DeVito left the game for a single play on the Giants' second-to-last possession, but returned to finish out the loss. He was not listed on the Giants' Monday injury report.

Daboll said during Monday's press conference that he was "anticipating" DeVito would be "ready to go" for the Thursday game.

At the time, however, Daboll said he had not yet spoken to team training staff DeVito. Whatever update he has received since then led him to a more cautious approach.

Lock, who stepped in to complete one pass for three yards when DeVito stepped off the field on Sunday, also briefly appeared in relief of Jones during a Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

He last started while stepping in for an injured Geno Smith during Weeks 13 and 14 of the 2023 season for the Seattle Seahawks.

Lock spent most of the season as the Giants' QB2 before he was jumped in the depth chart by DeVito following Jones' benching, which he told the New York Post's Steve Serby he was "upset and confused" about. Should DeVito sit out Thursday's game, Lock could be auditioning for a more extended shot at the starting role over the final six weeks of the season.

The final six weeks of the 2024 NFL regular season reportedly could be a make-or-break stretch for New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll.

Speaking Tuesday on the Scoop City podcast (beginning at the 5:50 mark of the video), former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel said he has heard that Daboll will be coaching for his job for the remainder of the season:

While The Athletic's Dianna Russini did not 100 percent confirm that is the case, she noted Daboll's firing is possible "if this thing gets ugly."

Although the Giants are tied for the worst record in the NFL this season at 2-9, they have often been competitive with six of their losses being by 10 points or less, but that wasn't the case Sunday.

In the first game after benching and then releasing longtime starting quarterback Daniel Jones, the Giants fell behind 30-0 in a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and ended up losing 30-7.

After the game, multiple Giants players spoke out against the team's overall effort in the one-sided defeat.

Per ESPN's Jordan Raanan, rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers called the team "soft as f--k," while veteran offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said, "I personally don't think everybody is giving 100 percent."

Daboll addressed the comments Monday, saying he "thought our guys played hard," per Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post.

The embattled coach also expanded on his thoughts and the team's current situation, saying:

"When you lose a game like that, there's frustration. Certainly, you'd like to keep it in house. But you understand them and I've been doing this for a while. There are conversations that you have to have if comments like that are made. I respect the opinions of the players and of the coaches. We'll work as hard as we can to get this fixed.

"These guys put a lot of work into this, as does everybody involved, and certainly not something that we wanted yesterday. We work hard every week to not have that happen, and that was a tough one. So, there's frustration that comes with it [which is] understandable.

"We communicate [and] I think we have good leadership in our locker room. But certainly, a frustrating game, no question about it.''

The Giants hired Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen in 2022 after they spent time together in the Buffalo Bills organization, and early returns were great.

New York far exceeded expectations in 2022, going 9-7-1, reaching the playoffs and even winning a playoff game.

However, things have gone south since then with the Giants going just 6-11 last season and devolving even further into one of the league's worst teams this season.

To make matters worse, the decision to sign Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract extension after the 2022 season has blown up in their faces, and the Giants have had to watch as running back Saquon Barkley signed with the rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency this past offseason before establishing himself as an NFL MVP candidate this season.

Even so, Giants owner John Mara said last month he was "committed" to giving Daboll and Schoen a chance to turn things around and said he did not anticipate making changes at head coach or GM during the offseason.

Despite that, the Giants may have to at least show some signs of life down the stretch in order for Daboll to save his job, and it starts with a Thanksgiving Day game against the rival Dallas Cowboys, who are also down to their backup quarterback after Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury.

Recently released quarterback Daniel Jones may be considering a future with the Baltimore Ravens.

Former Sports Illustrated journalist Peter King shared on the Let's Go! podcast that the 27-year-old is not looking for a multi-year contract, wanting to "go somewhere for the rest of the year" and be able to pick his team after the season.

"Adam Schefter said it and he said it absolutely right on ESPN on Sunday, that it looks like the Ravens and the Vikings are the leaders in the clubhouse," King said (14:35 mark). "Now, look, I think Daniel Jones would prefer to go to the Baltimore Ravens."

While joining the Minnesota Vikings behind a "hobbling" Sam Darnold might offer more playing time, the latter option gives Jones the opportunity to join a solid organization like the Ravens, where he can learn from Lamar Jackson and Todd Monken and will be better in the long run.

"He is not looking to stick it to the Giants to go play for somebody so he can show the Giants, see what you're missing," King said (14:45 mark). "No, he wants to go play for a winner. He wants to learn more about this game."

In Baltimore, Jones will have the opportunity to build strong film and make a case for a lucrative contract with another team.

Former New York Giants quarterback reportedly cleared waivers on Monday after his release, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, making him a free agent.

He may not be on the market for long—Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on Sunday that 10 teams have already reached out to Jones, with at least one team interested in making him the starter this season.

The Inside Scoop with @JayGlazer! 👏

Jay breaks down what is going on with the 49ers, Giants and more!! pic.twitter.com/2kW0tOa155

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 24, 2024

It's hardly a surprise that Jones cleared waivers, despite that rumored interest. No team would want to be on the hook for the remaining two years of his massive four-year, $160 million contract and the $11.8 million he was guaranteed for the rest of the 2024 season, especially if he was coming in to be a veteran backup.

And no matter what the Giants say publicly, there is no way his benching and subsequent release were solely about the product on the field. Rather, the team was almost assuredly safeguarding itself against the $23 million he was only guaranteed for injury in 2025.

By releasing him now, the Giants took on $22.2 million in dead cap space, but also should be saving about $19.3 million against the cap next season. For a player who clearly hadn't proven he could be a franchise quarterback, at least with the Giants, benching and then releasing him rather than risk that injury guarantee kicking in was the logical move.

Likewise, no team was going to incur his $11.8 million in guarantees this season, plus the possibility of an additional $23 million for injury next season, through a waiver claim.

The Giants are obligated to pay Daniel Jones the difference between what he makes from his new team, likely $375,000, and the approximately $11.8 million that he's owed for the rest of the season, based on his $35.5 million salary for 2024 under his previous contract.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) November 25, 2024

But his free agency may not last long.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Jones is expected to "have a new home on a one-year deal sooner rather than later" and is "expected to have multiple options but likely will prefer to finish the season on a playoff contending team, where he will be involved in big games, rather than going to a meandering quarterback-needy team not remotely in playoff contention, according to sources."

Additionally, he reported that the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens were the two teams seen as the most likely to land Jones.

Vikings’ HC Kevin O’Connell today about potential interest in Daniel Jones: “I really can’t get into too much about any short-term or long-term. I can just say that I’ve been a big fan of Daniel’s for a long time and I hope wherever his next step takes him, it’s a good…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 25, 2024

Here are Kevin O'Connell's answers today to questions about potentially adding QB Daniel Jones, who should clear waivers at 4 p.m. ET and then become a free agent. pic.twitter.com/8PprnHKdYT

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 25, 2024

"Of course, this season has been disappointing for all and, of course, I wish I could have done more," Jones told reporters Thursday during a press conference. "I'm 100 percent accountable for my part. I did not play well enough, consistently enough, to help the team get the results."

Landing with a contender to finish the season, however, might at least provide a silver lining to an otherwise rough season for the veteran quarterback.

The New York Giants made the somewhat surprising move to promote Tommy DeVito and not Drew Lock to the starting quarterback position after demoting and eventually releasing Daniel Jones.

That move raised eyebrows around the NFL, seeing as the Giants paid Lock $5 million in the offseason to serve as the backup and then kept him in the No. 2 role for the entire season, while DeVito was inactive until this past Sunday as the No. 3 option.

"That move made less sense than anything that has happened in the league this season," one executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic.

DeVito, a New Jersey native, became a popular player during the 2023 season, going 3-3 as the starter after Jones was lost for the year with a torn ACL while earning the moniker "Tommy Cutlets." Did the Giants simply choose to start him to drum up some fan interest, especially with former fan favorite Saquon Barkley now thriving on the Philadelphia Eagles after leaving in free agency?

"It has to be the owner trying to drum up some local support playing off of last year's success," an offensive coach told Sando.

Success is doing some heavy lifting here. DeVito did throw for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions during nine total appearances in 2023 (six starts), completing 64 percent of his passes. And he threw for 595 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in his three wins as the starter.

But the defense also held teams to just 16 points per game in those wins and secured a whopping 12 turnovers, which undoubtedly played a huge role in that three-game winning streak. And the Giants eventually returned the starting job to Tyrod Taylor to close the season, which wasn't exactly a resounding endorsement for the play of Tommy Cutlets.

Given all of the context here, it's hard not to take a cynical view on New York's decision to start DeVito on Sunday rather than Lock. The move certainly didn't appear justified on the field—DeVito threw for 189 yards and took four sacks in a 30-7 loss that saw the team only muster 245 yards of total offense.

Meanwhile, Barkley had 302 yards from scrimmage later that night, all on his own, during a win over the Los Angeles Rams. In a season that has already been brutal for Giants fans and the organization alike, Sunday was a new low.