EAST RUTHERFORD — In a strange scene at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Daniel Jones was the fourth quarterback in line during individual practice drills. He mostly kept his hands in his hand warmer. He briefly chatted with new practice squad quarterback Tim Boyle. This is the awkward new reality for the Giants. Tommy DeVito officially became the starting quarterback Wednesday when the team began on-field preparation for Sunday’s home game against the Buccaneers. And Jones, it appears, is now simply under contract to be on the roster. There would be no other reason to hold workouts with “a bunch” of quarterbacks on Tuesday, as head coach Brian Daboll said was the case, before deciding to sign Boyle. Daboll said the staff will decide later in the week whether Jones or Boyle will be the emergency third quarterback behind Drew Lock on Sunday, but it’s clear with the signing of Boyle that the Giants have no intention of putting Jones back onto the field this season. “Daniel’s been a pro,” Daboll said before practice when asked if he expects Jones to remain with the team for the final seven games. “It’s not the easiest situation, I understand that, but (he) came in, good in the meetings, good attitude, (will) be out here at practice.” Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen informed the quarterbacks individually Monday morning that DeVito was being elevated to starting quarterback to help spark the 2-8 Giants coming out of the bye week. The hope is that DeVito can build on his performances from last season when he went 3-3 in six starts as an undrafted rookie. He’s had another year of seasoning in the Giants’ offense, while Lock has only been with the team since March. DeVito is also less turnover-prone than Lock (1.7 percent interception rate compared to Lock’s 2.9 percent career mark) and has a bit more mobility. The Don Bosco Prep product totaled 1,101 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns, 195 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in nine appearances last season. “I was open for all outcomes,” DeVito said when he asked if he was surprised to be named the starter. “It was kind of something that I’ve been preparing for since last year. You always say ‘stay ready’ even though you’re quarterback three. ‘Stay ready, you never know, you never know.’ It’s kind of similar to last year … continuing to work throughout this whole season so far, learn, practice reps, make the most of it so that way, when your opportunity comes, you’ll be ready for it.” On the flip side, this was not what Lock envisioned when he signed a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $5 million to be Jones’ backup. He has started 23 games since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2019, and he worked as the second-team quarterback all summer and fall until Jones’ benching. Lock said he doesn’t feel misled or regret signing with the Giants, but he expressed disappointment when Daboll and Schoen named DeVito the starter. “I was professional, I didn’t scream and yell, and I said, ‘Look, I’m gonna do everything I can to help, but I can’t sit here and say that I’m not upset about it or disappointed in the decision,’” Lock said. “But obviously the decision is the decision, and life moves on.” Asked if he was told what the separator was between him and DeVito, Lock said Daboll and Schoen kept relating it back to how DeVito boosted the team under similar circumstances last year. “They couldn’t tangibly put it into X’s and O’s, but there was a feeling when he played, and I didn’t get to show that to them now,” said Lock, who briefly played in the preseason opener before getting injured, as well as in the fourth quarter of the Giants’ 28-3 loss to the Eagles on Oct. 20. That leads to the obvious question of why, then, wasn’t DeVito the second-string quarterback in the first place? The only explanation is that the quarterback evaluation was more complex than what the Livingston native showed last year. Daboll expressed confidence that the quarterback change won’t cause a rift in the locker room, even if some players — defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is publicly on the record, for one — believe that Jones is still the best quarterback on the roster and that the team’s poor record has plenty of blame to go around. “Everybody’s not going to agree with the decision, and I understand that,” Daboll said. “We make the decision that we feel is best, and then we move forward and get ready to go for practice.” Roster Moves In addition to signing Boyle, the Giants added offensive tackle Tyre Phillips and tight end Jordan Murray to the practice squad. They released linebacker Curtis Bolton, offensive tackle Garret Greenfield and tight end/fullback Jakob Johnson from the practice squad. But the biggest news is that outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux has been designated to return from injured reserve. Thibodeaux, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, has missed the last five games while recovering from wrist surgery. He had 12 tackles, seven quarterback hits and two sacks in the first five games of the season. “Optimistic that he’ll be ready to go,” Daboll said, indicating that Thibodeaux will be back in the lineup against the Bucs. That is key for the Giants’ defense, whose biggest strength is up front with the pass rush. Every member of the roster participated in Wednesday’s practice. Limited participants included Thibodeaux, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (knee), linebacker Matt Adams (knee), wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), tight end Theo Johnson (back), linebacker Darius Muasau (hamstring), safety Tyler Nubin (back) and right guard Greg Van Roten (abdomen).