Deonte Banks’ benching is over.
The Giants will start their 2023 first-round draft pick again Sunday against the Commanders, head coach Brian Daboll said on Tuesday afternoon.
Banks, whose effort has been called out on two occasions this season, played the first 27 defensive snaps in Monday’s loss to the Steelers before he was pulled.
There are no plays on film that Banks seems to pull up rather than chase a tackle, as he did in Week 3 against the Cowboys’ Ceedee Lamb and in Week 7 against the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.
He was hurdled by the Steelers’ Najee Harris when he tried to go low, and he shoved George Pickens out of bounds before he could get both feet down after he was beat for a would-be touchdown.
“We made that decision and went in a different direction,” Daboll said. “I have full confidence in Tae that he will be ready to go this week, and we’ll do everything we can to help him be ready.”
Banks might have felt scapegoated that his effort has been singled out as “unacceptable,” especially considering that defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said last week that he is “looking for some progress and some growth in that regard from all our guys.”
He said after the game his benching was for “missed tackles, I guess.”
“I didn’t really think I was playing bad,” Banks said, “but it’s not my choice.’’
The Giants entered the season confident that Banks was ready to ascend to No. 1 cornerback status and have had him shadow some of the NFL’s best receivers in difficult matchups.
Even at full strength, cornerback is a weakness of the Giants roster. Adoree Jackson, Tre Hawkins and Cor’Dale Flott are dealing with injuries, which forced nickel cornerback Dru Phillips to the outside and practice-squad call-up Greg Stroman into Banks’ spot.
“I’m focused on moving forward here with Tae,” Daboll said. “I think he’ll approach this week with the right mindset … and the right attitude.”
Daboll said Banks “will be” a key player moving forward.
“I know he certainly will give everything he has,” Daboll said.