As we inch closer to the end of the 2024 season and into the offseason for the 2025 season, the one main question surrounding the New York Giants continues to be asked around the football world.
Who will be the Giants' starting quarterback in 2025?
Will the Giants go with one in the 2025 NFL Draft, as they have the No. 3 overall pick and could take someone like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward if they are sitting there? Or will the Giants go with a veteran, short-term bridge option? Could they possibly do both?
It’s very possible that the Giants could do both, similar to how they went about things before the 2004 season when they signed veteran Kurt Warner and then made the draft-day trade to get Eli Manning. That possibility could very well be a thing 21 years later.
While the talk about what quarterback the Giants might get in the draft continues, the other side of the discussion is just as active regarding the veteran bridge option because the options are out there. Sam Darnold is one. Kirk Cousins is another. Russell Wilson is another option. There’s also Justin Fields, who Jordan Dajani from CBS Sports said the Giants should prioritize signing in free agency.
Fields for the Giants has been a topic of conversation going back to the 2024 offseason when he was a trade candidate since the Chicago Bears were taking Caleb Williams with the first overall pick and likely moving on from him. Some thought Fields could have been an option to play if Daniel Jones struggled or got injured. Eventually, Fields was traded, but to the Pittsburgh Steelers instead, and not to the Giants.
Steelers pending free agent QB Justin Fields was listed by @CBSSports as a free agent for the Giants to prioritize signing.
— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) January 30, 2025
Fields to the Giants has been highly discussed going back to last offseason before he was traded to the Steelers and now, with the Giants in need of… pic.twitter.com/BGUqFCJ1WS
With Jones no longer in the picture for the Giants after his release before Thanksgiving, the Giants have an opening or two on their roster for a veteran quarterback, especially one who probably won’t be as expensive as Darnold, Wilson, or Cousins—if a trade for him is even required.
Fields began the season as the Steelers' starter and went 4-2 in the first six games before Pittsburgh pulled the plug on him and gave the starting duties to Wilson, who started out strong before losing the final five games, including their playoff game. During the Steelers' loss to the Ravens, several fans wondered if Mike Tomlin would bench Wilson for Fields in the second half, but he didn’t.
If Mike Tomlin is the great coach that we think he is then you bench Russ and start Fields
— FryerJFlo (@Jose_Kevo) January 12, 2025
Some have wondered why Fields makes the most sense as the veteran for the Giants to bring in over the others. Money is potentially going to be a big factor, as Darnold and Wilson might get a lot more on the open market for their respective 2024 seasons. Fields is projected to get a one-year, $8 million deal in free agency.
That amount is perfect for the Giants, especially with their current salary cap situation, as Over the Cap currently has the Giants projected to have $46.5 million in cap space. That’s also before the team makes any salary cap cuts, trades, or other roster moves. $8 million for a potential quarterback who might be your starter, regardless of what the Giants do in the draft, would be a move that allows the team to address other areas of need.
The cornerback position could be addressed, as could the offensive and defensive lines. Maybe adding a second wide receiver with veteran experience is also an area of focus; we mentioned Stefon Diggs as a possibility for the Giants in free agency.
But for the Giants, as important as addressing the cornerback, offensive and defensive lines, and wide receiver position might be, the quarterback position will still remain the most important area to address. Even Giants owner John Mara said so himself.
John Mara says finding a quarterback of the future is the Giants' "number one issue" this offseason pic.twitter.com/hSRvpcTfpU
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 6, 2025
The narrative of Fields to the Giants will continue as we get closer to free agency in March. Given Fields' projected market value, along with some of the potential he showed during the 2024 season in Pittsburgh, he makes a lot of sense for a team in dire need of a quarterback.
Ultimately, the Giants may end up getting two quarterbacks, and one of them might come from the draft. Whether it’s in Round 1 or not may not matter as far as getting a veteran on the roster for 2025. Fields makes a lot of sense and, in some ways, makes the most sense for the Giants due to the possibility of it being a short-term option.