Tommy DeVito isn’t celebrating his role as a third-stringer this time around.
One year after he was an undrafted rookie who just wanted to earn his place in the NFL and instead wound up becoming one of the league’s biggest stories and a cult hero for local Italians, DeVito is trying to play his way into forcing the Giants to really consider his future with the organization.
“I’m going to put them in a situation to make a decision,” DeVito said after Sunday’s practice. “It’s going to be up to them. I’m going to go out and do my job to the highest ability. It’s not in my hands — this decision.”
After losing Tyrod Taylor to the Jets in free agency, the Giants signed Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million contract to be Daniel Jones’ backup, without much consideration given to letting DeVito be No. 2 on the depth chart.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have not carried three quarterbacks on the active roster during their first two seasons.
That would mean releasing DeVito when rosters are cut from 90 players to 53 and leaving him available for any team to claim on waivers, with hopes of re-signing him to the practice squad.
Daboll said he hasn’t thought that far down the line.
DeVito clearly has.
“I’m very aware of how they operate in this organization,” the Cedar Grove, N.J. native said. “That’s up to them to make that decision, make that gamble. I’m going to continue to play. We’ll see how everything unfolds.
“If they decide to [cut me] and I get scooped up, I don’t get to make that decision [to say] afterwards, if somebody grabs me, ‘No, I want to stay here.’ It’s everything for the front office.”
DeVito was 3-3 as a starter last season, completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,101 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
His hot streak kept a healthy Taylor on the bench for a few extra weeks and had Giants fans swarming his autograph signings and mimicking his pinched-fingers touchdown celebration.
What did he show the NFL?
“That I can play, that I belong,” DeVito said. “I can play in a lot of different situations. Obviously circumstances were not the best, right? There were a lot of guys dinged up. There were a lot of missing pieces. With that being said, we are able to get some momentum, get a couple wins. I proved I belong – mentally, physically – and I’m going to continue to grow off that.”
DeVito has taken only third-team reps through the first four training camp practices.
“I have a year of the offense under my belt,” DeVito said. “Still so much to learn, but it’s more I’m able to play now, be myself and do certain things that I was not able to do last [summer] versus just trying to remember which route is which, let alone [pass] protections. I’m so much more comfortable.”
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