The New York Giants claim they still have full faith in Daniel Jones as their quarterback, but they've left the door open for a potential first-round draft pick at the position in April. Now they've apparently also added veteran competition, agreeing to terms with former Seattle Seahawks backup Drew Lock on a one-year contract, as CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms.
Lock's deal is worth $5 million fully guaranteed, according to ESPN, which will make him roughly the fifth-highest-paid backup at his position entering 2024. But Seahawks general manager John Schneider told 710 Seattle Sports Thursday that Lock left for the Giants after New York "basically sold him on the opportunity to compete to be the starter," per The Athletic. Schneider added that Lock may view the situation as similar to Baker Mayfield joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023.
The Giants have been publicly hopeful that Jones, who last year inked a $160 million extension as the starter, will be cleared to return from a midseason ACL tear by training camp. But Lock certainly gives them experienced insurance, arriving with 23 career starts from his time in Seattle and with the Denver Broncos.
Originally a second-round pick of the Broncos in 2019, the same year the Giants drafted Jones No. 6 overall, Lock spent three seasons in Denver, notably going 4-1 in five starts as a rookie but struggling with turnovers as a full-timer in 2020. He was later traded to the Seahawks as part of Denver's blockbuster deal for Russell Wilson ahead of the 2022 season, and proceeded to spend two years as Geno Smith's top backup in Seattle. He made two emergency starts for the Seahawks in 2023, becoming something of a fan favorite for a comeback upset against the Philadelphia Eagles.
