With the NFL reinstating the emergency quarterback rule, teams’ roster counts at the position become a more interesting topic. The new rule — in place after the 49ers lost both their active QBs during the NFC championship game — may influence teams’ 53-man roster decisions.

The league’s offseason tweak, reverting to a rule that has not been in place since 2010, is not expected to sway the Giants. They are likely to go into the season with a two-quarterback depth chart, Dan Duggan of Athletic notes. Current third-stringer Tommy DeVito is not expected to be a real threat to join Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor on the active roster come September (subscription required).

Last year, the Giants reacquired Davis Webb, whom they originally drafted in the 2017 third round, to team with Jones and Taylor. But Big Blue released Webb and subsequently stashed him on their practice squad. Webb made a few cameos on the Giants’ 55-man gameday roster but was not part of the team’s unit for most games. While Webb was called upon to start a meaningless Week 18 game — his last NFL action before transitioning to coaching; he is now the Broncos’ QBs coach — the Giants rolled with their Jones-Taylor setup for most of last season.

Taylor remains attached to the two-year, $11MM deal he signed in March 2022. Jones signed a four-year, $160MM accord just before the franchise tag deadline — which then pertained to Saquon Barkley — after an encouraging contract year. Jones, however, has missed time in three of his four NFL seasons. Most notably, the former No. 6 overall pick suffered a neck injury that ended his 2021 season in November. Jones underwent surgery to repair the issue. Heading into his age-34 season, Taylor has battled injuries as well. A scary lung puncture controversy sidelined Taylor just before the Chargers’ Week 2 game in 2020, ushering in the Justin Herbert era ahead of schedule, and a hamstring injury shelved the current Giants backup for an extended stretch during a 2021 Texans one-off.

Teams generally avoid dressing three passers — hence the rule update — but clubs will be unable to utilize the emergency QB rule unless they carry a third quarterback on their active roster. In order for the Giants to have DeVito — or another third-stringer — in place as their emergency option, he must be on their 55-man gameday roster. (The 2020 CBA allows teams to elevate two P-squad players the Saturday before a game, expanding gameday rosters to 55.) Teams cannot carry two QBs and bump a third up from the practice squad during a game. This part of the rule figures to influence teams’ roster constructions, but the Giants appear prepared to stick with a two-passer setup.

Playing for Syracuse and Illinois in college, DeVito joined the Giants as as a UDFA in May. No other quarterbacks reside on New York’s offseason roster, but third-string options — whether they land on an active roster or a practice squad — regularly change teams once the cut to 53 players comes. This year, teams must chop their rosters from 90 to 53 by 3pm CT on August 29.