One of the biggest storylines from the NY Giants loss against the Jets was the injury of Tyrod Taylor, who went down in the second quarter with what looked to be a pretty serious rib injury. Tommy DeVito took the field and he finished with -1 passing yards. Yup, he can't be trusted to run this offense moving forward.
This makes it all the more likely that Joe Schoen will bring in a veteran QB to backup, or maybe even start over DeVito if Daniel Jones still isn't ready to go this weekend. The good thing about this? There are plenty of options and the Giants have even worked out a few guys in recent weeks likely in anticipation of another injury. Here's a look at three players Joe Schoen should call ASAP:
3. QB Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy may not have a ton left in the tank at 37 years old, but he's no stranger to the Giants organization and could bring things to the table that DeVito cannot. The former Longhorn legend has had a long, roller coaster of a career, but overall, he's consistently been one of the NFL's most solid backup QBs.
McCoy even had a stint in NY in which he backed up Jones and in the two starts we saw from him he completed 32 of his 53 pass attempts for 326 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. These aren't great numbers, but McCoy managed to win the Giants a game in a massive upset against the Seahawks.
It's doubtful that the Giants bring McCoy in compared to the other two options, but when looking at the other FA quarterbacks available, he makes more sense than most. If they opt to bring McCoy in, he could not only be a good emergency QB option, but could play a good role in mentoring DeVito if he's forced to start again.
2. QB Ian Book
Two weeks ago, the Giants brought Ian Book in for a workout, but opted not to sign him after elevating DeVito to the active roster. Now, with New York facing serious injury concerns for the quarterbacks room, it may be worth bringing the former fourth-round pick in on a deal.
Book has appeared in one game during his short NFL career and it didn't go well for him. During this matchup, Book completed 12 of his 20 attempts for 135 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. Despite this, the QB is still young and you never know what could happen if he were given another chance.
While Book may not be a big name and he doesn't have the experience of someone like McCoy, he'd surely be a step up over DeVito. Throughout Sunday's game, it was made obvious that the Giants didn't even trust DeVito to throw the ball five yards downfield. That can't be the case if you want to win games - you can argue this cost the Giants a shot at a victory over the Jets.
1. QB Matt Barkley
In addition to working out Book, the Giants also brought Matt Barkley in as well and it seems that if Schoen were to sign any QB, it would be him. Not only does Barkley have experience under Brian Daboll. but he's likely the safest option among the other options we've listed. He's not very good, just like any other free-agent quarterback, but with the experience he has, we're confident that he'd be their best choice.
Through his seven career starts, Barkley has completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,762 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. For being a career backup, these numbers aren't too terrible, especially when looking at what Book and McCoy have done in their careers.
Barkley was with the Bills from 2018 to early September of this year, so he has plenty of experience with not just Daboll, but Schoen as well. This familiarity will make him a prime candidate to be signed over other potential options.
Overall, we'll have to wait and see how the Giants weigh their options this week. If Jones (cleared for contact on Monday) is healthy and good to go against the Raiders, we wouldn't be shocked to see them sign no one. However, regardless of if he starts or not, Schoen has to find a better option than DeVito.