Why Giants will miss 'Italian Stallion' after Patriots claim Tommy DeVito

Any hope that the New York Giants could re-sign Tommy DeVito to their practice squad ended when the New England Patriots claimed the quarterback off waivers on Wednesday. 

Giants starter Russell Wilson was asked if DeVito's departure changes "the dynamic of" a quarterback room that also features veteran backup Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart.

"I wouldn't say change the dynamic, but we just miss the 'Italian Stallion' being in the room," Wilson responded while laughing, per Giants.com. "...We were actually FaceTiming him in between our meetings. We were hoping that he wasn't going to get picked up, because we were like, 'Come on.' But at the same time, we really wanted him to. We wanted him to be in our room, hopefully. But at the same time, obviously, we're so excited."

DeVito joined Big Blue as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and then enjoyed a 15-minute-of-fame run when he won three of his first four career starts. More recently, the New Jersey native received loud cheers from Giants fans as he completed 17-of-20 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns in New York's preseason finale against the Patriots on Aug. 21.

"He played well against the Patriots," Wilson continued. "They got to see what he was able to do. I know he'll do well there. He's got a really good organization over there and all that stuff. I think his mentality will be right there, and he'll do a great job. He's a brother to us, and we'll definitely miss him in our room."

Earlier in the week, The Athletic's Dan Duggan noted that DeVito had built a strong friendship with Dart since the Giants made him the 25th pick of this year's draft. ESPN's Jordan Raanan later detailed how Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll hope the club's quarterback room will help Dart "develop and grow."

That said, Schoen acknowledged on Wednesday that having three signal-callers on the active roster made DeVito surplus to requirements for New York. 

"...We would love to have him back," Schoen added about DeVito. "He was claimed, and we wish him nothing but the best."

DeVito is now on track to serve as a backup for Patriots starter Drake Maye. The 27-year-old could be an ideal teammate for a second-year pro still learning about life in the NFL.