With news of Matthew Stafford agreeing to a restructured deal with the Los Angeles Rams breaking Friday, teams that were courting the quarterback now must flip to Plan B.
One of those teams is the New York Giants, who are shifting their focus to impending free-agent QB Aaron Rodgers, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Earlier this month, the New York Jets announced they would release the 20-year veteran after two seasons with the team.
This Rodgers-Giants report comes with a caveat, however. Rodgers is not New York’s top veteran option, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. However, he offers a potential upgrade at QB for head coach Brian Daboll, especially if New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams — who has two years remaining on his contract — is part of a package deal.
But Rodgers clearly isn’t a long-term solution. He will not win the Giants another Super Bowl, so what would be the point of making an investment in him?
There are two avenues Giants GM Joe Schoen could pursue by bringing in Rodgers. He could play for part of the season and mentor a rookie QB — New York owns the No. 3 pick in this year’s NFL Draft — until that player is ready to start. Or he could start for an entire season and cause the demise of the Schoen-Daboll regime.
Rodgers threw for 3,897 passing yards and 28 touchdowns last season, but the Jets went 5-12. And that was with standout wideouts Adams and Garrett Wilson.
On offense, the Giants (3-14 in 2024) have budding star receiver Malik Nabers and not much else. In 2024, New York’s offensive line allowed 48 sacks (11th most in the NFL and eight more than the Jets).
The Giants may be better served following Atlanta’s example, signing a veteran QB such as Rodgers to start the season until a rookie is ready to play.
Rodgers is destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has more than enough knowledge to pass along to a rookie QB. Plus, there’s precedent in New York for such a move. In 2004 with the Giants, rookie Eli Manning sat behind veteran QB Kurt Warner before making his starting debut in November.
In December, Rodgers said he would need “a good month to get away from [football]” before making any decisions about his playing future. That time is up. The Giants and their fans are eager to hear what he has to say about these latest developments.
