The New York Giants continue to add as free agency moves along, and most recently, they’ve addressed the wide receiver position with the additions of Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney.
Both will serve as replacements for departing slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and are much-needed weapons for franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart. Not to mention, both Austin and Mooney are signing budget-friendly one-year contracts and will get playing time right away in this offense.
The offense is going to look a lot different with Isaiah Likely, Austin, Mooney, and even Patrick “Pancake Pat” Ricard joining the team, but you have to give credit to John Harbaugh and his coaching staff for how they’ve assembled this roster thus far. The coaching staff will get plenty of credit for how they recruited Mooney to New York and away from other NFC East rivals.
Giants OC Matt Nagy made a statement helping NY sign Darnell Mooney
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN stated that new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was a factor in landing Mooney, who maintained a good relationship with his former head coach from their time together in Chicago. This move makes even more sense for the G-Men as they needed a wideout without breaking the bank in free agency, and it helps that he already has ties to the coaching staff.
Nagy and Mooney's relationship dates back to 2020, when Nagy was in his second season as the Bears' head coach and drafted Mooney in the fifth round out of Tulane. Mooney broke onto the scene in 2021, when he had a career-high 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and scored five total touchdowns.
The veteran receiver would play two more seasons in Chicago before departing for the Falcons; however, he never had a performance as good as that '21 season. He came close in his first season in Atlanta in 2024, when he had 992 yards and tied his career-best with five touchdowns on 64 receptions.
Fowler also stated that the Eagles were involved in the Mooney sweepstakes and actively tried to sign the 28-year-old before he put pen to paper with Nagy and the Giants. This just adds to the rivalry and has to make you feel even better as a Big Blue fan, knowing that the G-Men are now in a position where they are stealing free agents from one of their biggest divisional rivals in the Eagles.
In recent years, the Eagles have been notorious for signing former Giants players such as Saquon Barkley, Azeez Ojulari, Adoree’ Jackson, and James Bradberry, so for Big Blue fans to hang this one over their head will feel good. Let’s face it, we’re still holding the Giants’ 34-17 Thursday Night Football victory from Week 6 over their heads.
Dare I say we are starting to see the rivalry start to shift?