Brian Daboll talked about it a number of instances.
So as to win within the NFL, a staff wants good quarterback play — one thing the Giants have lacked all too typically in current seasons.
No matter whether or not Daboll hammering that time after Sunday’s 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts was a message to the Giants’ entrance workplace, his sentiment stays.
The Giants want a long-term resolution at quarterback — and this offseason will likely be pivotal find one.
The place they are going to discover one, nonetheless, stays unclear. Their path turned extra sophisticated after Sunday’s win dropped the Giants from the No. 1 general choose in April’s NFL Draft to No. 4.
The ultimate draft order will likely be locked in after Sunday’s Week 18, and whereas the Giants’ positioning might change, they’re projected by ESPN analytics to have a 0.8% likelihood of touchdown the No. 1 choose.
That’s a less-than-ideal actuality going right into a draft thought-about weak at quarterback, with solely Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward considered as being value a top-five choice.
The draft, after all, will not be the one means so as to add a quarterback, although it’s nearly all the time essentially the most cost-effective.
Subsequent season, the Giants will carry a $22.2 million useless cap hit for Daniel Jones, whom they minimize in November throughout the second season of his four-year, $160 million contract. The Giants are anticipated to have $56.2 million in cap area, based on Over The Cap.
Right here is an early have a look at potential exterior quarterback choices for the Giants.
TRADE UP IN THE DRAFT
If the Giants have been to finish up with the No. 4 choose, they’d nearly definitely need to commerce up for an opportunity to draft Sanders or Ward.
The Tennessee Titans, who presently maintain the No. 2 choose, additionally want a quarterback. The Cleveland Browns, who’re in line for No. 3, ought to strongly contemplate one, though they owe $46 million in every of the following two seasons to Deshaun Watson, who has struggled with poor performances and critical accidents.
Not in want of a quarterback, nonetheless, are the New England Patriots, who would choose No. 1 if the season ended right now.
A lot was made concerning the Giants’ curiosity in buying and selling up with New England final offseason to take Drake Maye, whom the Patriots finally drafted at No. 3 general as an alternative.
The Giants famously used the No. 4 choose in 2004 to draft Philip Rivers, then traded him and three draft picks — together with a future first rounder — for Eli Manning.
The pre-draft course of will decide how a lot the Giants like Sanders, a pinpoint pocket passer with strong athleticism, or Ward, who was a big-play machine and Heisman finalist.
OTHER DRAFT PROSPECTS
Ought to the Giants miss on Sanders or Ward, they might discover the following tier of quarterback prospects — simply seemingly not at No. 4.
No different quarterback cracks the 2025 huge board put collectively by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., indicating the Giants can be higher off buying and selling down within the first spherical or seeing which developmental passer is accessible within the early second spherical in the event that they resolve to take one.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe is a dynamic runner, as evidenced by his 20 speeding touchdowns in 2024, however his passing stays a piece in progress.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck’s draft inventory took successful with an uneven 2024 season, and he will likely be coming off of season-ending elbow surgical procedure. Texas’ Quinn Ewers can be an imperfect prospect who might resolve to return to school for one more season.
LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, whom many evaluators like, introduced final month that he intends to play in school in 2025 in a blow to QB-needy groups.
SAM DARNOLD
The prize of the upcoming free agent class can be Darnold — if the Minnesota Vikings enable him to get there.
Taking part in on a one-year, $10 million contract, the journeyman Darnold is within the midst of an MVP-caliber, breakout season with a 68.1% completion proportion, 4,153 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for the 14-2 Vikings.
He has flourished in coach Kevin O’Connell’s QB-friendly offense but additionally demonstrated playmaking capacity that transcends the system. Nonetheless solely 27, Darnold, in the best state of affairs, lastly seems to be the a part of the franchise quarterback the Jets drafted No. 3 general in 2018.
When the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 choose in final April’s draft, they did so with plans for him to grow to be their beginning quarterback when prepared.
However that was earlier than Darnold broke out.
Spotrac initiatives Darnold’s market worth to be a four-year, $141.8 million contract, a median of $35.4 million per 12 months. The franchise tag for quarterbacks is estimated to be $41.3 million in 2025.
Over The Cap initiatives the Vikings to have $76.5 million in cap area, making each an extension or the tag prospects for Darnold.
If the Vikings resolve to let Darnold go, which appears much less seemingly each week, him signing with the Giants — and returning to MetLife Stadium — would include unimaginable intrigue.
J.J. MCCARTHY
Extending Darnold, in the meantime, would make McCarthy expendable for the Vikings.
The Giants are recognized to have accomplished their homework on McCarthy earlier than drafting vast receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 choose final April. In reality, McCarthy informed “The Rich Eisen Show” on the eve of the draft that he spent extra time with the Giants than some other staff.
May a commerce for McCarthy be sensible?
Earlier this week, ESPN insider Adam Schefter stated he anticipated groups to examine in with Minnesota about McCarthy, who has not performed this season after struggling a meniscus tear throughout the preseason.
“J.J. McCarthy would’ve been a top, if not the top, quarterback prospect in this draft,” Schefter stated on ESPN Radio’s “Unsportsmanlike.”
Schefter stated he didn’t know whether or not Minnesota can be keen to commerce McCarthy, however he contended the Vikings might obtain greater than a first-round choose for the quarterback.
The Vikings don’t have a second, third or fourth-round choose on this 12 months’s draft, which might incentivize them to make a commerce.
McCarthy, 21, went 27-1 as a starter at Michigan and gained a nationwide championship in 2024. He was thought-about an excellent, however not elite, prospect popping out of faculty.
He’s undergone two knee surgical procedures since his preseason damage however stays on observe for the beginning of subsequent season. McCarthy carries a cap hit simply south of $5 million subsequent season.
OTHER NON-DRAFT OPTIONS
The opposite apparent quarterbacks who might grow to be accessible are extra of a combined bag.
There’s Russell Wilson, who met with the Giants final offseason, solely to signal a one-year cope with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who supplied him an opportunity to begin.
After coming back from a training-camp calf damage, Wilson went 6-1 in his first seven begins with the Steelers however has since misplaced three in a row. He has 2,334 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in these 10 video games.
There’s Justin Fields, who went 4-2 because the Steelers’ starter earlier than Wilson’s return.
Fields, a former No. 10 general choose by the Chicago Bears, is an elite runner who has proven flashes as a passer however is simply 14-30 as an NFL starter.
The 25-year-old Fields has unimaginable upside, however the Steelers can be the second staff to let him undergo 4 NFL seasons, making any important funding in him a dangerous one.
After which there’s Kirk Cousins, whom the Atlanta Falcons simply benched after he went 7-7 with 18 landing passes and 16 interceptions within the first 12 months of a four-year, $180 million contract.
Having now pivoted to rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons are anticipated to launch Cousins, 36, earlier than free company opens.
