Tommy DeVito’s nickname has changed, and the reason is as straightforward as it sounds. The Patriots quarterback said Mike Vrabel started calling him “Tommy Cutlets” last year before noticing the two gold chains DeVito always wears and switching to “Two Chains.”
That new label has now taken hold in New England. DeVito said the nickname is used around the building, and Vrabel repeated it again Tuesday before practice with the Colts in Foxborough.
For DeVito, the name change is a small but telling sign of how he is fitting into a new environment. He first gained fame as “Tommy Cutlets” with the Giants, where the nickname became part of his public identity. Now he is in a different role with the Patriots, where the focus is less on the cult-hero image and more on backing up Drake Maye and being ready when called upon.
Why the Patriots changed the nickname
DeVito said the explanation came from something Vrabel noticed immediately. “Originally, he was calling me ‘Cutlets,’” DeVito said. “And then he saw me wearing two gold chains that I always have on. I never take them off, and that turned into ‘Two Chains.’”
DeVito said that has become standard around the team. “That’s good, and that’s how it is throughout the building now,” he said.
Vrabel has also been direct about DeVito’s progress. “Two Chains” is doing a nice job, the coach said.
What it means for DeVito
The nickname may be lighthearted, but the football part has been serious. DeVito is now in a backup role with the Patriots after being claimed on waivers last summer and initially slotted as the team’s third-string quarterback. The Patriots also did not bring back last year’s No. 2 quarterback, Joshua Dobbs, which opened the door for DeVito to move up on the depth chart.
That opportunity has come with a noticeable summer. Last week, DeVito went 13 for 16 with two touchdowns to DeMario Douglas in an intrasquad scrimmage. On Tuesday, he was 11 for 16 in 11-on-11 work and 2 for 6 in seven-on-sevens during the 14th training camp workout.
DeVito said the work is about staying ready for whatever comes next. He pointed to his experience early in his career, when he moved from the practice squad to being elevated as a backup and then to starting games. “You’ve always got to stay ready,” he said.
A familiar quarterback journey
That part of DeVito’s story is important because it explains why the Patriots value him as a backup. In 2023 and 2024, he appeared in 12 games for the Giants and started eight, finishing that span with a 65.3 percent completion rate, 1,358 passing yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
At 28 years old, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback has already lived through a few different versions of the NFL depth chart. “Even two years ago when I was in New York. I was the [No.] 3 one week, and then the next week I was starting,” DeVito said.
That is why the nickname change is more than just a funny camp detail. “Tommy Cutlets” may still be the label fans remember, but “Two Chains” is the one Mike Vrabel is using now, and it comes with a clearer football reality: DeVito has a real chance to matter in New England.
As Dell Pettus put it, “The talent has always been there, but I think he’s just in a flow state right now.” Pettus added: “He looks fantastic.”
