Tommy DeVito

By Sam Barron From Daily Voice

Tommy DeVito, the Don Bosco graduate who starred for his hometown New York Giants at quarterback, is on the move.

A day after being waived by the New York Giants, DeVito, a Cedar Grove native, has been claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots, ESPN reported.

On the Patriots, DeVito will serve as 3rd string quarterback behind starter Drake Maye and backup Joshua Dobbs.

DeVito, a.k.a. Tommy Cutlets, captured the hearts of the Garden State and Giants fans everywhere when he came off the bench to lead the team to three straight wins in 2023. In 2024, he started two games for Big Blue, both losses. DeVito was released from the Giants after they signed quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson and drafted Jaxson Dart.

While on the Giants, DeVito gained notoriety for living at home with his parents in Cedar Grove. Now he'll have to find his own place in the Boston area.

Though his time with the Giants was short, DeVito certainly capitalized on his New Jersey fame. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge picked up the tab when they had dinner at the same restaurant. DeVito, who made national news after a dustup over a canceled autograph signing at a pizzeria, filed trademarks for "Passing Paisano" and "Tommy Cutlets" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Tommy Cutlets earned the nicknames after he expressed love for his mother's chicken cutlets while celebrating his Italian heritage on the field. DeVito hopes to sell Tommy Cutlets branded pasta, pizza, chicken, meatballs and tomato sauce while Passing Paisano could be used for branded clothing and bobbleheads, according to the trademark  filing.

In the Giants last preseason game last week, DeVito threw three touchdown passes against the Patriots and received an ovation from his hometown fans, ESPN reported.

"Means a lot," DeVito told reporters after the game. "If I was in the stands I would be cheering for anybody who was the hometown kid, too. It was appreciated."