New York Giants QB Tyrod Taylor Embraces His Unusual Role

Tyrod Taylor is very much of a competitor. But with Daniel Jones firmly entrenched as the starter, Taylor has had to go outside the box regarding what he's competing for in his first Giants training camp.

East Rutherford, N.J. - Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has bounced around the league since entering the league in 2011. With stops in Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston, Taylor now is in East Rutherford, where he is trying to help the Giants build a winning culture.

Taylor signed a two-year deal with the Giants back in March, but before he even got a chance to compete on the gridiron, his role was clearly spelled out: He will be the backup to starter Daniel Jones.

While most players would at least want an assurance of a chance to compete for and win a starting role, Taylor made the business decision to accept the Giants' offer, knowing full well the team's intentions.

"I came in here ready to compete, and that’s what the nature of this game is," Taylor told reporters Wednesday following the team's seventh training camp practice.

"There is only one quarterback that can play, and you have to be ready at any time when that opportunity presents itself. I’m working every day just to get better and ready for the opportunity that presents itself."

While Taylor knows and accepts his place on the totem pole, he still believes he can be a leader, even with Jones as the starter.

“If you would’ve asked me earlier in my career, I was always a lead by example. I think the older you get, the more experience you have, you become more comfortable being vocal," Taylor said.

"Ultimately, how you play and execute is what guys will respond to the most. For me, go out and do your job every day, uplift guys and make the guys better, and trust them. Don’t go out there and try to be Superman. There are 11 guys on the field playing for one goal, and that’s to win the rep and ultimately win the game. Each and every play, like I said, just be detailed in your focus and execution.”

Giants fans have seen that the team has failed to provide a suitable backup for Daniel Jones since he entered the league. Eli Manning was the best backup Jones had once he overtook the starting job in 2019.

Since then, Jones’ backups have been Colt McCoy, Mike Glennon, and Jake Fromm. Taylor has a similar playing style to Jones in terms of using his legs to his advantage and a strong arm.

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If Jones were to go down, Taylor, who has a 26-25-1 record as a starter, is a legit backup option. Signed to a two-year $11 million contract with a $4.2 million signing bonus and $100,000 total in workout bonuses, and up to $6 million in play-time-related incentives that can push the deal upwards of $18 million total, Taylor has built a solid working relationship with Jones, with whom he watches film and tries to help whenever necessary.

“Great competitor, friendly, southern,” Taylor said about Jones. “Much respect for Daniel. The way he approaches his job every day and the way he goes out and leads.

"I think just the quarterback room as a whole, we all bring out the best in one another. Whether it’s in competitions, whether it’s in the weight room, whether it's on the field. We tally up who has the best throws for the day. If you see our board of tallies, it can get crazy, but much respect to Daniel. He’s doing a great job throughout camp.”

Like many of his current veteran teammates, Taylor made a stop in Buffalo with the Bills. However, he never got the chance to work with Brian Daboll, then the offensive coordinator who was eventually hired as the Giants' head coach, because the Bills traded him to the Browns.

But now that Taylor has had a chance to see Daboll's philosophies up close, he is impressed.

“The way he commands the locker room, the meeting rooms, and the respect that he has amongst the guys on the team, he does a great job of keeping everyone involved but also not withholding information. He’s straightforward with us.

"One of the things that I like, just in our meetings – like today was a first and second down day, yesterday was third-and-10 – we talked about situations. Sometimes, you don’t get to those conversations until the season. Still, it’s good to keep everybody abreast and keep everybody on the same page and understand where the focus of the team is for that day rather than just putting it on the table and talking about it later. I think he does a good job of communicating to each position group, and to a man, I would say he has all the respect in the world.”

Taylor has seen many different offenses in his trips around the league. In his 12th training camp, he likes the flexibility this system gives to wide receivers and the overall progress the unit has made in such a short timeframe.

“I think we’ve taken a step in the right direction each day. Throwing a lot of information in the spring. We were together, what? Nine weeks. I got a chance to get familiar with the offense, so once we were able to get into training camp, it wasn’t necessarily zero. We were already leaving on a high note, so we wanted to keep that energy rolling.

"I think Coach (Daboll) has done a great job mixing different concepts but also allowing guys to do what they are most comfortable with. That’s going out there and making plays. You see (Wide Receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) being moved around in different areas. You see (Wide Receiver) KG (Kenny Golladay), (Wide Receiver David) Sills, and I can go on and list. I don’t leave receivers out saying that guys are outperforming others, but you see guys moving around in different spots making plays.”

Taylor has also been impressed by what Jones has shown so far.

“I think he is going out there and making plays," he said. "Guys are helping him around. Guys on the receiving end, tight end, backfield. He is doing a great job commanding the huddle, going out there, and executing.”

The better Jones does, the less likely Taylor gets on the field. But that's fine with him if that were to be the case.

“That’s the NFL. Sometimes it’s business. More times than not, it’s business. I don’t hold any grudges. I know what I’m capable of doing in any setting, and I think I’ve proved that every time I’ve had a chance to play," he said.

"The opportunity presented itself for me to come in – I thought that it was the best decision out of the choices that were available. I’m happy with the decision I made, glad that I’m around such a great group of guys in the locker room as well as a great group of guys in the coaching staff as well, too.” 

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