Man, what a year 2023 was for the Illinois football program in all sorts of ways.
That season, the Illini managed to win eight games, which was unheard of leading up to the 2023 campaign. Illinois has a new quarterback in the works named Tommy DeVito. The Syracuse transfer had potential, but the injury bug plagued his stint with the Orange.
DeVito’s time with the Illini was magical. While he didn’t earn a spot in the 2023 NFL Draft, the New York Giants came calling in free agency.
In the chaos that is the Giants franchise, DeVito was a calming force. He started six games and played in nine as a rookie. The results were pretty impressive, as New York went 3-3 in games DeVito started, despite finishing the season 6-11 overall.
As a rookie, DeVito threw for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions while being a .500 quarterback, which is impressive for that franchise. He also saw action last season, tallying a 70.5% completion rate while throwing for 257 yards on 44 attempts.
On Tuesday, the fun ride ended for DeVito, though. It was announced that the Giants are moving on from DeVito, as they have waived him.
Giants to waive QB Tommy DeVito. (via @rapsheet, @mikegarafolo) pic.twitter.com/ghTF6nBnk2
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2025
The question now remains, will a franchise claim him off waivers? I think the answer should be yes.
Tommy DeVito can give a franchise exactly what they need in a backup quarterback
Does it shock me that the Giants waived DeVito? No, they have Russell Wilson as the starter, Jameis Winston as a backup, and a young up-and-coming quarterback in Jaxson Dart. The writing was on the wall.
But that doesn’t mean DeVito is done in the NFL. I would argue, the possibilities are endless for the talented passer.
DeVito brings an attribute to the table that nearly every NFL team would kill for, and that is the quality backup quarterback. He is someone who has proven he can fling the ball around efficiently while also being a good team guy for a franchise.
I would imagine, even if he doesn’t get claimed, DeVito signs on with a team in 2025 and continues his solid career. This guy has a long career still ahead of him in the NFL.