Drew Lock will be ready to seize his opportunity

Everyone loves the backup quarterback. Generally. In the case of Drew Lock of the New York Giants, some want to see him bypass Daniel Jones and start while others don’t understand why the Giants, who already had fan favorite Tommy DeVito, bothered to sign him .

Let’s dive into a discussion on Lock as we continue our player-by-player profiles of the Giants’ 90-man roster.

The skinny

Height: 6 feet 4 inches
Weight: 228
Age of opening day: 27
Position: Strategist
Experience: 5
Contract: One year, $5,000,000 | Milestone reached for 2024: $5,000,000 | Guaranteed in 2024: $4.95 million

Lock’s contract also includes various incentives. Spotrac lists them as follows:

Playtime incentives (cumulative)

$250,000 each for 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% and more shots

Incentives for success (cumulative)

Passing mark 92.5: $250,000
65% completion rate: $250,000
88 Pass Rating + 15 TD Pass: $250,000
88 Passer Rating + 2,000 Pass Yards: $250,000

Team Incentives (cumulative)

55% to 69% Snaps + playoff berth: $500,000
70%+ Snaps + a playoff spot: $500,000

Career to date

Lock was taken in the 2019 NFL Draft round, 42nd overall, by the Denver Broncos. That was the same year the Giants took Jones 6th overall.

The former Missouri quarterback had two chances to be starting quarterback and was unable to retain or win the job both times.

In Denver, Lock five games during an injury-shortened rookie year and 13 games during his second season in the league. The Broncos went 4-9 in those 2020 starts as Lock completed just 57.3% of his passes, threw 16 touchdown passes and nearly matched that number with 15 interceptions while compiling a passer rating of 75.4. In his third season, in 2021, he started only three games as the Broncos turned to veteran Teddy Bridgewater.

Lock was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 in a deal that brought Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Lock lost a contest with Geno Smith and hasn’t played a down in 2022. He played in four games with two starts last season.

Lock’s career completion percentage is just 59.7, with 28 touchdowns (3.6%) and 23 interceptions (2.9%).

outlook for 2024

Lock refuted Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s assertion that he was brought to the Giants to compete for the starting job.

“Daniel Jones is the starter on this team,” Lock said after his signing. “Now I have to come in and push Daniel to be the best he can be. That’s the role I played for Geno. That’s the role I played for Teddy. That’s the role Brett Rypien played for me when I was a starter in Denver.

Lock, of course, wants to play. He will wait for any opportunity that presents itself.

“Shoot, for three years I wasn’t a starting quarterback,” Lock said. “So I was patient. I know how to be a backup and be ready if and when your time comes. As a backup, you hope it never happens. You hope your team plays good football and you hope Daniel stays healthy. But do everything you can to be ready. When that moment comes, take advantage of it.

The question is: what kind of opportunity will Lock have?

Jones’ injury history suggests the Giants will need Lock at some point. The unstable nature of Jones’ play throughout his career and the possibility of the Giants benching Jones at some point to avoid paying a $23 million injury guarantee in 2025 means he is possible that Lock will make more than just an appearance during the regular season.

The incentive-laden contract details presented above reflect this possibility.

“Everyone in this league wants to play as much as they can,” Lock said. “I see it as I join a great football team. I want to help this team in any way I can, bring as many wins to this program as possible, make the playoffs and see what happens from there.

The type of opportunity Lock has and what he does with it if and when that opportunity presents itself could help shape the future of the Giants quarterback position.