Sam Darnold’s name is all over the free-agent market, and there’s no shortage of chatter about where he’ll land. One name that's come up repeatedly? The New York Giants.
Dan Sobleski from Bleacher Report seems to think so: “Darnold thrived in head coach Kevin O’Connell's offensive scheme,” Sobleski wrote. “At the moment, none of the teams in dire need of a quarterback fit the bill, either at head coach or offensive play-caller. However, the New York Giants aren't too far removed from Brian Daboll being the NFL Coach of the Year and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka drawing significant attention as a highly regarded candidate to lead a team.”
On paper, the connection makes some sense—Darnold is coming off a career year with the Vikings and the Giants need a quarterback. But let’s be real: this pairing makes about as much sense as putting pineapple on pizza.
Darnold’s 2024 resurgence in Minnesota was impressive. He threw for over 4,300 yards, 35 touchdowns, and even earned his first Pro Bowl nod. But context matters. He had an embarrassment of riches to work with: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones.
The Vikings’ offense was tailor-made to cover his weaknesses and highlight his strengths. Even with all that firepower, Darnold crumbled in the season’s most critical moments, with back-to-back stinkers against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. If he couldn’t elevate a team loaded with elite talent, how is he going to thrive with the Giants' roster?
The Giants, meanwhile, are anything but a quarterback-friendly environment. Malik Nabers is a rising star, but after him, the receiving corps features Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson—solid players, but hardly Jefferson and Addison. The running back room is led by rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr., who’s promising but unproven. Even with Brian Daboll’s offensive acumen, there’s no guarantee Darnold would succeed.
And if we’ve learned anything from his New York Jets tenure, it’s that Darnold isn’t the guy to thrive in chaos (not that many QBs are).
Sam Darnold won't save the Giants—not on his own
The Giants’ problems extend far beyond the quarterback position. They’ve got holes on the offensive line, serious run-defense issues, and question marks just about everywhere else. While they’ll have some cap space to play with—a little over $40 million—it’s not enough to patch every roster hole and pay Darnold what he’ll want after a truly out-of-nowhere successful season.
Let’s also not pretend Darnold is suddenly viewed as a savior. He’s not Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or even Jared Goff. He’s a solid quarterback who can produce in the right situation, but he’s not going to single-handedly elevate a team.
If anything, signing Darnold would feel like trying to plug a sinking ship with duct tape. If they go the free agent route, at least take a gamble on a former top prospect with high-upside.
The Giants don’t just need a quarterback. They need the quarterback—the franchise cornerstone who can lead them into the future. Darnold isn’t that guy. He’s a stopgap at best, and signing him wouldn't necessarily set them up for future success. Liken this situation to Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith. Smith has had one heck of a career resurgence in the Pacific Northwest, but for all the gaudy passing stats, they're a middling .500 team that could make the playoffs.
That sounds terrible. The Giants should much rather opt to find the signal-caller that can give them a Super Bowl chance, not just one that keeps them slightly relevant.
Darnold’s career has been a roller coaster, and his success in Minnesota felt like the peak of that ride. But the Giants are not the Vikings. They don’t have the infrastructure to hide Darnold’s flaws or amplify his strengths. Bringing him back to New York, of all places, feels like asking for history to repeat itself. In New York. Again. If his time with the Jets taught us anything, it's dysfunctional organizations struggle to build winning programs.
Unfortunately for the Giants, they've become one of the most dysfunctional in the NFL over the past decade.
For a team desperate for stability and a clear path forward, the Giants need to resist the temptation to make Darnold their quick fix. He’s not the solution—they’ve already seen that movie, and they know how it ends. There are other options on the table. For example, they could draft a QB in the second round and add a cheaper stopgap option to help bridge the development gap. What they can't do is exhaust their cap space on Sam Darnold and hope he'll fix everything. He won't.