Giants’ Veteran Quarterbacks Options Appear to Be Dwindling

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Day 1 of the NFL’s open negotiating window is just about wrapping up, and the New York Giants have yet to get their veteran quarterback.
The Giants, who went all out to land Matthew Stafford of the Rams only to be crushed when Stafford decided to stay with Los Angeles, have been most heavily linked to Aaron Rodgers (Jets) and Russell Wilson (Steelers), neither of whom have agreed to terms with a new (or in Wilson’s case, old) team as of 8 p.m. ET on Monday night.
Let’s recap what has transpired and where things stand gathered throughout the day.
Things got underway over the weekend, with Seattle trading Geno Smith to the Raiders and solving Las Vegas’s quarterback problem for now. The Seahawks then turned around and agreed to terms with Sam Darnold, formerly of the Vikings, on a three-year deal.
Justin Fields, who initially was thought to be planning to stay in Pittsburgh but decided to explore the market, agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Jets.
Jimmy Garoppolo decided to re-up with the Rams. Zach Wilson left Denver for Miami. Joshua Dobbs moved on from San Francisco to New England. Andy Dalton re-upped with Carolina.
Jarrett Stidham re-signed with Denver. Nick Mullens signed with the Jaguars. And Cleveland (who holds the No. 2 pick in the draft) traded for Kenny Pickens of the Eagles, sending quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the Eagles, a move that could mean the Browns might by-pass a quarterback in next month’s draft.
Old friend Daniel Jones is reportedly contemplating his options, including returning to the Vikings or going to the Colts or Steelers. Among those free agents who are still out there for the Giants to consider are Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota
As for the Giants, it’s believed that Wilson, with whom they flirted last offseason about joining the club, is at the top of their list and that if a deal can’t be worked out with Wilson, they will pivot to Rodgers.
But with receiver D.K. Metcalf having been traded to the Steelers and Fields gone to the Jets, will the Steelers make a greater push to retain Wilson?
If Jones bolts from the Vikings, might Rodgers welcome an opportunity to return to the NFC North, where he’d face the Packers twice a year as a man motivated to show that he still has it left in him?
If all else fails, will the Giants consider making a call out of desperation to the Falcons to see if they’d be interested in trading Kirk Cousins, a move which, if the Giants did make, could, depending on the asking price and the Giants’ level of desperation, potentially put the kibosh on any thoughts to trade up for a quarterback in the first round of the draft next month
It’s all very dizzying right now, but hopefully, we’ll get the answers sooner than later.
More Giants Free Agency Coverage
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- Giants Re-Sign Punter Jamie Gillan to 3-Year Deal
- Giants Re-sign OLB Tomon Fox
- Giants Re-sign Long Snapper Casey Kreiter
- Giants Re-sign QB Tommy DeVito
- Report: Giants Agree to Terms with ex-Saints Cornerback Paulson Adebo
- Giants Boost D-Line Depth by Adding Roy Robertson-Harris
- Surprise! Giants Re-sign Receiver Darius Slayton
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Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.
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