Exploring New York Giants’ Options for Veteran Quarterback

With Matthew Stafford returning to the Rams, what are the Giant's options, and which makes the most sense?

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters at the end of last season that he wouldn’t allow himself to get into a Hail Mary situation when it came to fixing a roster that finished with a franchise-worst 3-14 record in 2024.

But with the pressure already on Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll to win more games or else be removed by team ownership from their respective positions, it’s hard to believe there isn’t the slightest iota of desperation in existence, especially after the Giants made such a hard push to land Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback who ultimately decided to stay put despite what sources say was a very competitive offer from the Giants.

The Giants missing out on Stafford could be a blessing in disguise. While there is no doubt he would have helped the Giants win some games, he would have cost them valuable draft capital, which, to be frank, if the Giants are going to trade away, they might as well do so to get a prospective franchise quarterback.

That could be the case if the Giants are aggressive in securing the first pick in the draft from the Tennessee Titans, a move that could make sense for them, considering they wouldn’t have to give up a small king’s ransom to move up two spots. 

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen vowed to be as thorough as possible in the team's search for a veteran bridge quarterback. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

That said, if other teams are serious about moving up for a quarterback–the Raiders (sixth overall) and Jets (seventh overall)  are reportedly two such teams that could be looking to move up–the Titans would stand to get a lot more from those clubs since they’re a little further down in the draft order.

Schoen told reporters at the combine that he’d like to get a veteran who can come in, win games, and mentor a rookie. 

While this isn’t to say that a rookie quarterback couldn’t come in here, beat out a veteran, and hit the ground running–rookies Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix each took their respective teams to the playoffs last year–it doesn’t sound like the Giants want to take that chance.

So where do the Giants go from here for that veteran signal-caller? Here are some possibilities and their likelihood of happening.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aaron Rodgers, Jets

Rodgers will soon be out of a job once the Jets cut him, and he’s reportedly begun reaching out to quarterback-needy teams such as the Giants to gauge interest. 

There are reasons to believe this could be a good match. Rodgers is a future Hall of Fame quarterback who is likely super motivated to prove that his time with the Jets was an aberration. What better place to do it than with the Giants, who share the New York market with the Jets?

On the flip side, the concerns with Rodgers include durability issues, which cropped up the last two years, and his diminished production, where last season saw him post the worst numbers of his career in losses (12), yards per attempt (6.7) and rating (90.5) since he became a full-time starter in 2008.

Taking that a step further, in his last three seasons (2022-2024), his final one in Green Bay and the two with the Jets, versus the 2008-2021 stretch of his career (2008 being the year he became a starter), there has also been a decline in yards/attempt (7.8 to 6.7), TD-INT ratio (4.9 to 2.4) and passer rating (104.8 to 90.7).

Thanks to his resume, Rodgers probably wouldn’t come as cheap as some of the other options that appear available to the Giants. While that shouldn’t necessarily disqualify him from consideration, given how the cap can be manipulated, it also doesn’t make financial sense.

Why? Because if the Giants plan to draft a rookie quarterback this year to have that youngster start at some point this season or, at the latest, next season, do the Giants want an expensive backup on the roster when they have other needs to address?  

Rodgers would probably do in a pinch, but it’s hard to believe he is among the Giants’ top considerations for a veteran backup.

Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) throws a pass during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Huntington Bank Field. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Jameis Winston, Cleveland

Winston is another veteran who has an interest in joining the Giants. He is an option with a projected market value of $6 million per year based on a two-year, $12.052 million deal.

It would be a smart move if he agreed to a contract in that range. With the Giants likely to draft a rookie quarterback, they wouldn’t be paying Winston an exorbitant amount if they switched to the rookie mid-year.  

If the Giants, for whatever reason, decided against drafting a potential franchise quarterback, they’d still have Winston under contract for 2026, when the quarterback class is expected to be much deeper than this year’s crop.

One of his greatest appeals is that he’s not afraid to let the ball fly, which would undoubtedly please receiver Malik Nabers. 

Yes, that sometimes leads to interceptions – Winston has a career TD-INT ratio of 4.8 to 3.5, and he only has a 61.2% career completion rate. But his 7.6 yards per attempt and 7.02 average air yards aren’t bad, nor is his career 12.5 yards gained per pass completion, which is among active passing leaders. 

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh

The Giants briefly flirted with Wilson last year, only to see him move on after the Giants stubbornly stuck to their guns about giving the starting quarterback job back to Daniel Jones, who was rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered the year prior.   

The question regarding Wilson, who earned his tenth career Pro Bowl berth last year, is whether he’d fit what the Giants want to do on offense. Last year with the Steelers, Wilson mainly ran short check-downs and dump-offs, and his deep pass attempts were limited–his 1,360 air yards were the second-lowest in his career since 2018.

Wilson reuniting with Pete Carroll might make more sense if Carroll wants the same offensive system in Las Vegas as he had in Seattle, one in which Wilson thrived and knows very well.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Justin Fields, Pittsburgh

Justin Fields was one of the earliest possibilities mentioned for the Giants. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, the Steelers want to retain Fields, whom they believe to have more upside, and let Wilson walk.

The other issue with Fields is that while he has upside, he also lacks the resume the Giants are thought to be seeking in their ideal veteran quarterback, specifically a sizable track record of winning games, including those on the line. 

Things might be different if this were the first or second year of the Schoen-Daboll era. But with the pressure already on them to win and the odds favoring them drafting a guy, the match might not be there.  

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sam Darnold, Minnesota

I can’t see this one happening for multiple reasons, and not just because of money. First, there is a question of whether Darnold would even want to return to New York and MetLife Stadium, where he likely has few fond memories.

However, a more significant reason is whether the Vikings intend to keep him. Eventually, they plan to transition to J.J. McCarthy, but McCarthy is still recovering from knee surgery. 

Even if McCarthy is physically ready to play this year, this is like his rookie season all over again. Would the Vikings be willing to roll the dice by letting Darnold go and turning over the keys to Daniel Jones, assuming they re-sign him?  

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