The Giants want a quarterback. Aaron Rodgers wants a staff.
That’s the straightforward a part of the equation.
Extra sophisticated is whether or not the Giants, who’re recent off of a 3-14 season, and the 41-year-old Rodgers, whom the Jets determined to maneuver on from, are a sensible match.
However the Giants are stated to be contemplating Rodgers after they missed out on one other veteran quarterback, Matthew Stafford, who determined to stick with the Los Angeles Rams on a restructured contract.
Listed below are the burning questions round a potential Giants-Rodgers marriage.
Why would the Giants have an interest?
Shortly after asserting normal supervisor Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll could be retained, co-owner John Mara made it clear he wouldn’t tolerate one other season just like the one the Giants simply endured.
“I’m gonna have to be in a better mood this time next year than I am now,” Mara stated in January.
These feedback added urgency to what was already a pivotal offseason for the Giants, who minimize Daniel Jones in November and had Drew Lock on a one-year contract for 2024.
However in a draft with out a blue-chip quarterback prospect — or with out a assure the Giants’ best choice at QB will fall to them at No. 3 — the veteran quarterback market seems to be the probably path to profitable in 2025.
“I’m for taking swings at that position,” Schoen stated final week. “It’s the most important position, and it’s hard to find them, so keep swinging. Keep swinging at the position until you find one.”
Regardless of the Jets’ 5-12 document, Rodgers completed with stable statistics — 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions — and performed higher because the season went on.
When Week 1 kicks off, Rodgers can be two full years faraway from the Achilles tear that ended his first season with the Jets after solely 4 offensive snaps.
Rodgers is not the quarterback who received 4 NFL MVPs and a Tremendous Bowl with the Inexperienced Bay Packers, however he seems to have one thing left.
He probably received’t require a serious dedication, which might permit the Giants to draft a quarterback to take a seat behind Rodgers or purchase them extra time to search out their QB of the longer term.
Why would Rodgers have an interest?
The Rams seemed to be the perfect match for Rodgers, a California native who would have benefitted from having head coach Sean McVay calling performs and broad receiver Puka Nacua to throw to.
However with Stafford’s state of affairs resolved, L.A. is off the board.
That leaves Rodgers with out a clear vacation spot that may provide him each a beginning job and a win-now roster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the playoffs at 10-7, however they completed with 5 consecutive losses, together with the postseason, and struggled with go safety.
The Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders are coming off of dropping seasons and seem like greater than a quarterback away from Tremendous Bowl competition.
The Giants match that description, too, however Rodgers already owns a house in New Jersey and appeared to embrace residing within the space.
Though he’d be altering locker rooms, Rodgers would proceed taking part in house video games at MetLife Stadium.
And the Giants can provide Rodgers a No. 1 broad receiver in Malik Nabers, an elite left deal with in Andrew Thomas and an offensive coach in Daboll.
“I know I can still play,” Rodgers stated after his last recreation with the Jets. “I know I can still do the things I need to do to be successful.”
What are the issues?
All through his two-year tenure with the Jets, Rodgers usually made off-the-field headlines.
He was floated as a candidate to be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s working mate within the presidential election, which Rodgers opted towards.
Rodgers missed obligatory minicamp in June.
And he made weekly appearances on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” and was the focus of a Netflix documentary sequence, “Enigma.”
These types of attention-grabbers are one thing a staff would must be snug with in the event that they signed Rodgers, or one thing the quarterback must be OK with giving up.
For what it’s price, new Jets normal supervisor Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn haven’t specified why they determined to half with Rodgers.
Rodgers, in the meantime, would want to align sufficient with the Giants’ imaginative and prescient to decide on them over every other staff that exhibits curiosity. He would becoming a member of a division that includes the Tremendous Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles; the Washington Commanders, who simply superior to the NFC Championship Sport; and the Dallas Cowboys, who’re anticipated to be playoff contenders.
He would probably additionally have to embrace serving to a younger quarterback, which he stated he would have been keen to do with the Jets.
And Rodgers should determine that he desires to return for a twenty first NFL season, which he has not publicly dedicated to doing.
It stays to be seen if Rodgers will try and staff up once more with broad receiver Davante Adams, whom the Jets are anticipated to commerce or launch.
What are the Giants’ different choices?
Whether or not or not the Giants signal Rodgers, they appear intent on leaving subsequent month’s draft with a younger quarterback.
“Even if you get a young quarterback, you’d like to have a vet in the room with him to show him the ropes and how to be a pro,” Schoen stated.
Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are thought-about the highest QBs, although each might be gone when the Giants decide at No. 3. Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart might be on their radar if he lasts till the second spherical.
The Giants additionally appear intent on including a veteran quarterback past Tommy DeVito, who is predicted to return as an unique rights free agent.
Russell Wilson met with the Giants final offseason and is about to be a free agent once more. New York has lengthy been thought-about interesting to Wilson and his spouse, the pop star Ciara.
Sam Darnold is the highest free-agent QB after a breakout season by which he led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 document. However Darnold, who turns 28 in June, is poised to command a hefty multi-year contract.
Initially Printed: March 3, 2025 at 4:59 PM EST
