Shortly after the New York Giants signed quarterback Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider caused a stir.
Appearing on The Wyman and Bob Show, Schneider claimed that the Giants sold Lock on the possibility of winning the starting job over Daniel Jones.
“They basically sold him on the opportunity to compete to be the starter,” Schneider said. “And he felt like it was the right opportunity. He looked at Baker Mayfield’s opportunity last year and felt that this could be something similar.”
The only problem? That never happened.
During his introductory press conference, Lock told reporters that Giants brass made it abundantly clear that Jones would remain the starter and he would serve as the backup.
“Daniel Jones is the starter of this team. That’s been conveyed to me,” Lock said. “Now, I need to come in and push Daniel to be the best that he can be. That’s the role that I played for Geno (Smith), that’s the role I played for Teddy (Bridgewater).”
It’s a message that wasn’t delivered to Lock alone.
Before inking Lock to a new deal, the Giants held an “exploratory meeting” with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who ultimately ended up signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports that like Lock, the Giants informed Wilson that Jones would remain the starter and there was no guarantee he’d receive significant playing time.
Lock, indeed, was not offered a chance to compete for the starting job, according to a league source. The Giants did sell him on the idea of working with head coach Brian Daboll, who has a quarterback-friendly system that led to Jones’ best season in 2022.
There’s a pattern here, too. The Giants had an exploratory meeting last week with Russell Wilson, and the team didn’t make any promises about playing time, according to league sources. That’s been the Giants’ approach as they’ve built toward the 2024 season with Jones as the expected starter.
Despite outside speculation, Giants general manager Joe Schoen has been remarkably transparent about the team’s stance on Jones. When he’s healthy, he’s the starter and their faith in him has not waned.
Jones, who is recovering from a torn ACL, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
