Giants Make Decision on Benched Cornerback Deonte Banks

Banks was benched in the second quarter of the Giants' 26-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night.

East Rutherford, NJ -- July 24, 2024 -- Cornerback Deonte Banks during the first day of training camp for the 2024 New York Giants. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Tuesday that cornerback Deonte Banks, who was benched in the second quarter of the Giants’ 26-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, will start the Week 9 game against the Washington Commander this Sunday.

Banks’s benching came after a series that saw him go low on a tackle attempt against Steelers running back Najee Harris and then force receiver George Pickens out of bounds in the end zone to prevent a touchdown.

“Just thought during that series needed a little bit more,” Daboll told reporters after the game when asked why Banks was benched at that point. “Had a conversation with him and went with the other guy (Greg Stroman).”

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Daboll said he didn’t have an issue with Banks’s low tackle attempt on Steelers running back Najee Harris, calling it a difficult play. But with that behind the team now, the Giants head coach said he’s looking to move forward with the team’s 2023 first-round draft pick.

“I think he'll approach this week with the right mindset and we’ll do everything we can do to help him,” Daboll said.

It’s been a rough stretch for Banks this month. He started drawing questions about the consistency of his effort after allowing Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb to score on a long touchdown pass in a Week 4 loss, a play that Giants passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson publicly criticized.

Banks then had a couple of plays in the Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, one of which occurred on a Jalen Hurts scrabble in which Banks pulled up on the play prematurely and another one in which he stood idly by as teammate Tre Hawkins tried to tackle former Giants running back Saquon Barkley following a big run.

Banks’s lack of effort drew the ire of his teammates, with defensive co-captain Dexter Lawrence leading the way in trying to set things straight with the young cornerback. Meanwhile, Daboll initially decided to trust Banks, who vowed never to let his effort lapse again, instead of benching him to start the game and send a message.

With Banks having had another lapse, can he be trusted to put this ugly stretch behind him and be the player his talent suggests he can be?

“Yeah, I think he will be, and I think that he'll come in with the right mindset, the right attitude, and everybody will help him do the best job he can do, and I know he certainly will give everything he has,” Daboll said.

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