It hasn’t taken long for the Tommy DeVito experience to jump the shark that is the New York sports media landscape.
DeVito is what he is — a serviceable quarterback who has given a much-needed spark to a once listless team, all while setting records along the way. Despite going undrafted, the 25-year-old DeVito played college football at Syracuse before transferring to Illinois. He has since returned to his New Jersey roots, and the fanbase has wrapped their arms around him.
The local hero, who is of Italian heritage and lives with his parents, has earned the nickname “Tommy Cutlets” due to his popularity among fans.
DeVito is this year’s NFL feel-good story. Or, if you’re a New York sports fan, he’s this year’s Mike White. And while he led the Giants to an upset win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, perhaps we should pump the brakes just a tad.
On Tuesday, Giants head coach Brian Daboll was asked a rather peculiar question. Daboll, a defensive assistant (2000-01) and wide receivers coach (2002-06) with the New England Patriots, was asked by a reporter about being on staff when the Patriots made Tom Brady the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Not exactly apples to oranges.
Daboll respectfully cut off the question, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
“We’re four games in,” he said.
Brian Daboll was asked today about being on staff in New England when they made Tom Brady the 199th pick in the 2000 draft. He cut off the reporter respectfully.
"We're four games in." #DeVito #Giants
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) December 12, 2023
Brian Daboll shutting down Tommy Devito & Tom Brady comparisons pic.twitter.com/cHprJKhAKW
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) December 12, 2023
According to ProFootballTalk, Daboll was asked a follow-up question about Brady eventually becoming New England’s starter.
“That’s a long time ago. I’d just say every situation is different. I couldn’t probably give you the answer that you’re looking for,” Daboll said.
DeVito led New York to a 24-22 win over Green Bay by completing 17 out of 21 passes (80.9 percent) for 158 yards with a touchdown. He also added 71 yards on the ground. This season, DeVito, a first-year player filling in for an injured Daniel Jones and has since taken Tyrod Taylor’s job, has passed for 855 yards, with eight touchdowns against three interceptions while maintaining an impressive 65.9 completion percentage.
This is the same DeVito, who Daboll was afraid to let throw a pass in a 13-10 loss to the New York Jets. He has proven to be more than capable, and the Giants have likely found themselves a backup at the very least — with a good story — at a cheap cost. But is he the next Tom Brady? Probably not.
And while this is a league where anything is possible, and his journey from undrafted free agent to NFL darling has taken the world by storm, Daboll doesn’t want any necessary expectations being placed on what the team deemed to be a practice squad quarterback before injuries piled up.
For now, DeVito’s underdog story remains captivating. But with only four games under his belt, his future very much remains unwritten. Only time will tell if “Tommy Cutlets” continues his way to becoming a New York sports icon or fades into the crowded annals of NFL backup quarterbacks.
