Giants backup Tyrod Taylor 'excited' to get a chance to play vs. Lions
Tyrod Taylor of the New York Giants in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Jan. 1, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
DETROIT — Tyrod Taylor is in his 13th NFL season.
Since his rookie year in 2011, he has played for the Ravens, Bills, Browns, Chargers, Texans and, since last season, the Giants.
The 34-year-old still gets excited to take the field, as he was expected to Friday night in the Giants' first preseason game against the Lions.
For Taylor, an opportunity to play is one he embraces.
“Whenever I get the chance to lace my shoes up and go out there and play the game that I grew up wanting to play, I'm excited for it," Taylor told Giants.com during joint practices with the Lions this week. "I hope the reps come. I'm definitely excited for it. I’m excited to go out there to compete for one another, but also showcase what I can do as well.”
No matter who played quarterback on Friday night, there will be a host of Giants starters on the sideline cheering him on. Giants coaches and players believe they got in great work on the practice fields with the Lions.
“It felt real good, just to actually run some of our concepts and some of our stuff versus other people who haven’t been seeing it for six months straight,” receiver Isaiah Hodgins said. “It’s definitely a refresher for us.’’
Hodgins likely was on the sideline Friday night with most, if not all, of the Giants' starters.
Taylor understands that.
“Backup quarterback is definitely an interesting position," Taylor said. "Obviously, at the drop of a dime, you're called on to go out and lead the team and play at a high level. That is my focus each and every day, to come in and prepare like I'm a starter. That has been my mindset since Day One. Play like a starter, lead like a starter [and] obviously be myself.”
Considering the quality of quarterback play that some NFL teams endure, you could make the case that Taylor could compete for a starting job with some teams.
There is little that Taylor hasn’t seen in his long career. He is respected among peers and coaches.
Taylor has played in 81 regular-season games with 53 starts, including 43 for the Buffalo Bills from 2015-17. Since then, he has been the backup for the Browns, Chargers, Texans and Giants. In the previous five years, Taylor has played in only 23 games, starting 10 of them (six with the Texans in 2021). Last season, he threw eight passes in three appearances.
When Taylor leaves the game against Detroit, Tommy DeVito will take over. DeVito played at Illinois last season and completed 69.6% of his passes, the highest single-season completion percentage in program history.
DeVito, who signed with the Giants after going undrafted, is from Cedar Grove, New Jersey. During the Giants' practices that were open to the public this summer, DeVito was something of a fan favorite.
"He’s improved since he’s been here. He’s still a young guy who doesn’t get a ton of reps playing that position, which is always a hard thing," coach Brian Daboll said. "But he’s done a good job improving every day."
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
