New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said he would turn over every possible rock this offseason to figure out the team’s next quarterback. There’s one possible rock that might not have to be turned far because of the potential interest in the team—Aaron Rodgers.
With the recent news of Rodgers reportedly reaching out to the Giants to gauge their interest, it has caused a stir all over the football world, especially in the New York and New Jersey area. Granted, Rodgers might be 41 years old and no longer the league MVP, but it’s still Aaron Rodgers—the future Hall of Famer—so his name alone will bring attention wherever he goes.
Rodgers is set to be released in a few weeks once free agency starts in March. As he looks for his next team, he has two criteria: first, he needs a team to want him, and second, he wants a good team.
It hasn’t been determined yet if the Giants want Rodgers. Many think the Giants should leave Rodgers on read and ghost him completely. However, if Rodgers is hoping the Giants are interested, they could be waiting to see if Matthew Stafford gets traded to the Las Vegas Raiders before deciding whether to pivot from the trade market for a veteran quarterback and explore free agency instead. The good news for the Giants is that if they want Rodgers, he would only cost money since the Jets are releasing him soon, whereas Stafford would cost draft picks plus a new contract.
"I don't think it's nuts to say Aaron Rodgers makes more sense for the Giants than Matthew Stafford does." - Evan Roberts
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 26, 2025
(via @WFAN660) pic.twitter.com/bLQGItPd2N
The other part of Rodgers’ demand is finding a “good team.” Does Rodgers see the Giants as a good team? Granted, the Giants had one of the worst seasons in franchise history in 2024, finishing 3-14. But of those 14 losses, eight were by eight points or fewer.
What really plagued the Giants in 2024 was bad quarterback play. They arguably had the worst quarterback room in the league with Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle. Combined, those four managed just 3,228 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes. Eight of those touchdowns came from Jones before he was released, and he played in only 10 games. Four of Lock’s touchdowns came in one game against the Colts in Week 17. All in all, it was horrendous quarterback play.
To compare, Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2024 for the Jets. One player accounted for 13 more touchdowns and nearly 700 more passing yards than four Giants quarterbacks combined. Even at 41 years old, Rodgers would be a clear upgrade over what the Giants had a year ago. Granted, he’s not the 2021 version of himself who won the NFL MVP, but the Rodgers we saw last year could have won several of those eight close games the Giants lost.
Yes, Rodgers didn’t bring the Jets to the promised land like many thought he would when he was traded there in 2023. But there seemed to be a lot of chaos surrounding the other team in MetLife Stadium, so it’s not entirely fair to compare the Giants with the Jets.
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What Rodgers could bring to the Giants in 2025 is a veteran bridge quarterback who could play out the final years of his Hall of Fame career while trying to spark life into an offense that was near the bottom of the league in points, yards, scoring, and just about everything else.
Signing Rodgers wouldn’t prevent the Giants from drafting a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, especially if they stay put with the third overall pick. Even if they decide to trade up for the first overall pick, having Rodgers wouldn’t get in the way of that plan.
Would not be surprised to see a trade in the top 5 of this draft to get to #1
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) February 27, 2025
A large trade. A Giant one. Titanic if you will.
It would almost mirror the 2004 NFL Draft when the Giants signed Kurt Warner to a short-term deal before making the draft-day trade with the Chargers to acquire Eli Manning. Whether Rodgers is willing to be a mentor and placeholder for a potential rookie remains to be seen, as he might want to show the football world he still has something left.
Ultimately, though, Rodgers might be a better short-term bridge option than Stafford because of the Giants' current direction. Rodgers wouldn’t hinder the development of a rookie quarterback if the Giants decide to draft one in April.