EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Neither Tommy DeVito nor Brian Daboll could say definitively today that the quarterback will be healthy enough to start the Giants' Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas.
The second-year quarterback was added to the injury report with a right (throwing) forearm injury and would have been limited had the Giants had a full-scale workout instead of a walk-through. Backup Drew Lock took some first-team reps in case he must start against the Cowboys.
DeVito was hurt Sunday in the Giants' 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was replaced by Lock for one fourth-quarter play after having the wind knocked out of him when he was hit by defensive lineman Calijah Kancey. But he is uncertain if that's when he was injured.
"I don't really remember a specific play," he said. "It's kind of just adding up all the hits."
DeVito was not on the injury report yesterday, when Daboll saidhe was "hopeful" DeVito would play in Dallas.
DeVito added clarity to the situation today, when he made his first public comments since his postgame press conference.
"My whole body's kind of sore," said DeVito, who completed 21 of 31 passes and rushed for 32 yards against the Buccaneers, his first action of the season. "First time playing in a while, took a couple shots. It's not even 48 hours, so things are still kind of just settling in."
DeVito was asked about Thursday.
"The plan is to play, yeah," he said. "We'll see how I feel tomorrow. Hopefully, wake up feeling a little bit better after I get some more treatment today. Looking forward to tomorrow."
But DeVito conceded he felt worse today than he did yesterday.
"I think that's my whole body," he said. "Even my neck is pretty stiff. It's kind of the same thing."
Daboll spoke to reporters about DeVito between the team's two walkthroughs.
"His forearm is sore, and we'll see where we're at," Daboll said. "We had a walkthrough right before this. It is sore, so we'll see where we're at here.
"He threw in the walkthrough. I wouldn't say it's timing or a lot of depth to it or velocity to it, but he was throwing in the walkthrough. He's going to test it out here today in practice in another walkthrough. So, I'm hopeful, but it's not 100 percent."
DeVito didn't test his arm during the hour-long workout, in which the players wear no pads or helmets.
"I mean, it's a walkthrough," he said. "We don't really throw intently or urgently or anything like that, so I wasn't able to get a great gauge of that, but tomorrow I will."
The team will travel to Dallas tomorrow following another walkthrough.
Does DeVito think he can throw at full velocity?
"We'll see," he said. "I'm not sure. I haven't really tested it. I'm kind of still just recovering. It's like a bruise. You don't want to aggravate it too much."
Daboll learned something was up with his quarterback this morning when he walked onto the field for the first walk-through.
"He was out there with a sleeve," Daboll said. "I'm like, 'You good?' 'Yeah, I'll be good. I'm a little sore here'. So, I just got it right now. It was sore today.
"He was sore from the game naturally playing, but it just bothered him a little bit. And right before I got out here, we were talking about it, and I was talking to the trainers about it."
A six-year veteran, Lock has 23 career starts with Denver and Seattle. His most recent start was on Dec. 18, 2023, when he completed 22 of 33 passes for 208 yards and one touchdown in leading the Seahawks to a 20-17 Monday night victory against Philadelphia.
Because of DeVito's injury, his role in today's walkthrough was unlike any he had filled in previous practices.
"More than zero reps (with the starters)," he said. "Got a couple of reps and taking it day-by-day. Always got to be ready. No matter the week, no matter what the situation is, you're going to go in there and play. My mindset didn't change this week, and we'll see how the rest of the week shakes out."
Lock has played 13 snaps in three games this season and completed four of nine passes for nine yards. But at least he got to experience a career first on Sunday – participating in one play and then returning immediately to the sideline.
"That was the first time in my career that that's happened," Lock said. "Head on in there and Tommy comes back in. It's strange. That's not something that normally happens. But again, that's what I'm here for."
He'll be here for a lot more than that if DeVito can't play Thursday.
*The Giants placed outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari on injured reserve and claimed tight end Greg Dulcich off waivers from the Denver Broncos.
Ojulari injured his toe early in the Tampa Bay game and did not return. He played in all 11 games this season and started the five in which Kayvon Thibodeaux was sidelined. Ojulari had 6.0 sacks, tying him for second on the team with Brian Burns, three behind Dexter Lawrence. He had 28 tackles (12 solo) and 10 quarterback hits.
Dulcich, 6-4 and 245 pounds, was cut yesterday by the Broncos. He joined the team as a 2022 third-round draft choice from UCLA. In three seasons in Denver, he played in 16 games with 10 starts and caught 41 passes for 464 yards and two touchdowns. As a rookie, Dulcich had 33 receptions for 411 yards and both of his scores. This season, he played in four games with three starts and caught five passes for 28 yards.
*Tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and defensive lineman Armon Watts did not participate in the walkthroughs.
Eluemunor had played every snap this season before suffering a quad injury on the Giants' fourth offensive play Sunday. Despite the short week, he hopes to play in Dallas.
"I'm working, trust me, I'm working to be out there Thursday," Eluemunor said. "It's cool, playing on Thanksgiving, going against (defensive end) Micah) Parsons, one of the best in the league. I'm working to get up there and hopefully play against them.
"The short week is always a challenge, doesn't matter if you're hurt or you're healthy. … I just need to work as hard as I can and hopefully get out there on Thursday. I'll play on one leg if I had to, but I also don't want to be in a position where it's hurting the team. If I'm at my best, I'll be out there and if it's not gonna affect the team, then I'll for sure be out there."
If he is not, Chris Hubbard will likely start in his place.
*Evan Neal, the Giants' other starting tackle, was limited today with a hip injury.
"I'd say I'm optimistic that he should be ready to go," Daboll said. "It' a little bit harder, obviously, with not doing much. I think he should be ready to go."
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