Giants Had Surprising Competition for QB Nathan Rourke

One team in particular is really trying to cover its bases at quarterback.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants were shut out in getting the quarterback they might have wanted in the 2024 NFL draft, but they weren't about to be denied when it came to the waiver wire.

Thanks to their holding the sixth spot in the waiver order, the Giants successfully claimed quarterback Nathan Rourke, the one-time CFL star who was waived by the New England Patriots earlier this week.

The Atlanta Falcons — who signed QB Kirk Cousins during free agency and then selected QB Michael Penix during the draft — put in a waiver claim this week for former Patriots and Jaguars QB Nathan Rourke, who was awarded to the New York Giants, per source. pic.twitter.com/vyi7hAz9w0

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2024

But as things turned out, there was another team interested in claiming Rourke: the Atlanta Falcons, whose approach to the quarterback situation this off-season has been, shall we say, interesting.

The Falcons, remember, signed former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a guaranteed contract in free agency. They then shocked the world by selecting former Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. in the draft, where they held the eighth overall spot.

And now there is Schefter's report that the Falcons also wanted Rourke, causing some to wonder what Atlanta's end game is.

We'll leave that mystery to our colleagues over at the Falcon Report to decipher, but as far as the Giants are concerned, the team's adding of another quarterback came as no surprise after head coach Brian Daboll, following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL draft, said that the team planned to add another quarterback.

The reason is simple. Jones is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season. While he's making progress in his rehab and expects to be ready for the start of training camp in late July, he's unlikely to be cleared to take his normal workload this spring.

Daboll likes to have three quarterbacks available to split the reps, meaning Lock, DeVito, and Rourke would get the bulk of the reps.

There's likely another reason the Giants are interested in the former CFL star. Jones most likely won't be cleared to play in the preseason games, so having the extra arm in training camp for those games will allow Daboll to distribute the workload.

And let's not forget that DeVito, who surprised many people last season with his play when he went 3-3 as a starter, isn't necessarily a lock for this year's roster. He has earned the right to compete for a spot, but he will need to show he's made progress in those areas in which he was deficient if he's to hold onto his spot on the team.

The Giants begin their OTAs on May 20 and conclude the off-season program with a three-day mandatory minicamp June 11-13 at the team's East Rutherford, New Jersey headquarters.

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