It’s nearly too good to be true that the Giants could be fascinated with Aaron Rodgers now that Matthew Stafford has proven that he’d favor to maintain taking part in for a group that truly blocks for him.
Simply that Rodgers to the Giants is even a chance units up what could be one of the crucial wonderful — and hilarious — tales we’ve ever had in soccer in New York, or over in Jersey. Perhaps the Giants assume that after issues went so properly with their final actuality sequence, “Hard Knocks,” they now wish to produce one in every of their very own with Rodgers, even after seeing what they simply noticed when Rodgers was working at MetLife Stadium for the Jets.
“The Giants didn’t just see how that all played out,” my buddy Pete the Jets fan, stated on Friday. “They had a front row seat.”
However then Pete stated that even when this doesn’t occur for the Giants, simply the truth that they’re contemplating it makes him really feel higher about just about every little thing.
“This sounds crazy,” he stated, “but they actually might be a bigger mess than we are.”
So the group that permit Saquon Barkley not simply depart the constructing, however head on right down to Philadelphia and break speeding information and, oh by the way in which, win the Tremendous Bowl could be contemplating a solution to maintain Aaron Rodgers IN the constructing. How nice is that?
And why are they contemplating this, for those who can consider all the assorted stories on this topic? It’s as a result of that is precisely how determined the Giants are, particularly in the event that they don’t consider that Deion’s child, Shedeur Sanders, remains to be going to be on the board once they’re on the clock with the third choose within the upcoming NFL draft. Or maybe, and perhaps much more doubtless, they don’t consider that he must be the third choose within the draft.
Everyone knows what we noticed with Rodgers this previous season. We noticed the performs he didn’t make and the throws he couldn’t full when the Jets nonetheless had a season, beginning with the short-arm throw that would have overwhelmed the Vikings in London and certain didn’t. We additionally know that the teaching state of affairs for the Jets was as dangerous as there has ever been within the historical past of the franchise, all the way in which again to the AFL, and Jets followers know that’s saying a mouthful.
We all know in regards to the coaching camp days he missed and the distraction he was each single Tuesday when he appeared on Pat McAfee’s ESPN present, generally making you assume the one solution to shut him up was to ship him to the blue tent. We all know that the Jets made him the one strongest participant they’ve ever had, earlier than and after his Achilles harm, after which all of us watched the Jets win fewer video games than they’d the season earlier than with Zach Wilson and pals, bless their hearts. All of it labored out so properly that one of many very first orders of enterprise for brand new head coach Aaron Glenn and new normal supervisor Darren Mougey was to inform Rodgers to place Florham Park in his rearview mirror, so they might put him in theirs.
However as badly because it all performed out final season for the Jets after they did get to 2-1 — and despite the fact that Rodgers attempting to maneuver round within the pocket sometimes made him appear like one of many dinosaurs on the Museum of Pure Historical past — he nonetheless managed to throw 28 landing passes within the season throughout which he turned 41, towards 11 interceptions, and have practically 4,000 passing yards. Compared, and with a vastly higher group round him, Stafford threw 20 TD passes for the Rams towards eight picks and simply over 3,700 passing yards.
Can Rodgers sling it the way in which Stafford nonetheless can? He can’t. However in equity to him, and despite the fact that he makes it actual arduous to do this generally, all these passes he did full final season didn’t full themselves. And in a world the place the Giants Sundays and Mondays featured the outgoing Daniel Jones and Drew Lock and the cutlets man, you’ll be able to actually see why they may very properly be kicking the tires on Rodgers. Even the tire he blew out 4 performs into his first Jets season.
Do the Giants see Shedeur — or Cam Ward for that matter — as a possible franchise quarterback? There isn’t a approach of understanding that, as a result of perhaps even they don’t understand it at this level. There isn’t a approach of understanding whether or not they assume Sam Darnold, the ex-Jet — simply the story of New York quarterbacks over the previous a number of years is a actuality sequence, once you actually give it some thought — is value an enormous contract. Or in the event that they assume one other gramps, Kirk Cousins, is a viable stop-gap possibility for them, actually not after what the Falcons noticed from Cousins final season earlier than they gave up on him.
However that is how we arrive at this juncture in New York soccer the place what the Jets lastly noticed as a worst-case state of affairs for them — one other 12 months of “The Aaron Rodgers Show” — could be the best-case state of affairs for the Giants. You actually can’t make it up.
Nobody actually is aware of what the Giants are considering. And nobody appears to know what Rodgers is considering, despite the fact that we all know what a deep thinker he’s, simply ask him. I texted an NFL man I very should belief on Friday afternoon and joked that I might pay him if the opportunity of Rodgers changing into a Big was actual.
Right here was his response:
“Real.”
Solely at this level in Giants historical past, after they let Saquon stroll after speaking it to dying on “Hard Knocks,” and never so terribly lengthy after they prolonged a quarterback, Jones, that they knew would by no means be what they had been so determined for him to be, might they really see Rodgers, who will flip 42 in December, as their finest choice to be related once more, and fewer of a joke than they’ve turn into.
In fact that’s the reason the Jets traded for Rodgers within the first place. So the Giants, if they’re contemplating this, could have circled all the way in which again there. And what might presumably go mistaken?
Rodgers, by all accounts, needed to return to the Jets, and was advised no, one thing stars like him deal with like a part of some overseas language. May the Giants, regardless of what they seemed like final season — and what they seemed like for many of the season was the worst NFL group in all of the land — be Rodgers’ most suitable choice at this level the way in which he could be theirs? That is still to be seen.
However there isn’t a purpose these days to wish to watch the Giants subsequent season. Rodgers, regardless of every little thing, would give individuals a purpose to observe. Whether or not it turns into prepare wreck TV or not.
A TRIBUTE TO TRAUTWIG, KNICKS NEED TO BEAT CELTICS IN STANDINGS & READY TO WATCH SOTO HIT …
There was no sport Al Trautwig, who handed away this week, couldn’t cowl.
No query he was afraid to ask.
No broadcast he didn’t improve, and no sport he made larger than it was.
You recognize what the NBA wants greater than something?
It wants for each LeBron and Steph to make runs within the playoffs.
If the Yankees do make a play for Nolan Arenado, and put him throughout the diamond from Paul Goldschmidt, what does that say about all these nice Yankee children we maintain listening to about?
You recognize who the final nice Yankee child was?
Aaron Decide.
Decide posed a reasonably nice query, by the way in which, after the Yankees lastly lifted their rule about facial hair:
If not having a beard is a deal-breaker, was that someone you actually needed in your group within the first place?
The Knicks, clearly, haven’t been in a position to beat the Celtics within the common season.
However what they will nonetheless do is beat them out for second place within the East.
Which might imply rather a lot within the postseason.
And perhaps maintain them away from a harmful younger Pistons group within the first spherical.
Perhaps probably the most wonderful factor in regards to the present mayor of New York, Mr. Adams, is that he nonetheless carries himself like he’s going good.
No worries, if a few of the mock drafts are right, we nonetheless would possibly get Deion’s child with the Jets.
Which, you must admit, could be form of a dream.
I like the concept that the PGA Tour one way or the other merging with a bust-out operation like LIV goes to save lots of skilled golf.
I consistently hear that we don’t give sufficient like to how the present NBA is extra proficient, throughout the board, than it has ever been.
It’s, in so some ways, a totally false narrative.
No one is disputing how a lot expertise is on show within the league, and on a nightly foundation.
That’s not the issue.
The overriding drawback is that the product isn’t pretty much as good as all people related to the league continues to assume it’s.
Regardless of so most of the league’s stars performing as if that’s one way or the other someone else’s fault.
Each couple of weeks, Mikal Bridges seems just like the participant the Knicks thought they had been getting.
Golf is at all times much more fascinating when Jordan Spieth is someplace close to the highest of the leaderboard.
However that may solely occur if he doesn’t maintain hitting drives within the normal route of Topeka each time he will get again up there.
You recognize what was large enjoyable final 12 months in Baseball New York?
Watching Juan Soto hit.
You recognize what could be even larger enjoyable this 12 months?
Watching Juan Soto hit.
Joe Schoen says he received’t merely decide to save lots of his job.
Good one, no kidding.
The much less protection the Knicks play, the extra you get the concept that they’re getting Invoice Russell again as Mitchell Robinson is lastly again on the courtroom.
