It wasn't long ago when the New York Giants were making the playoffs and leading the organization to the Super Bowl. The roster had talent, the coaching staff was respected, and the front office made responsible decisions. The organizational construction led to two Super Bowls and some of the best days as a Giants fan. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Much like those Giants, soon-to-be former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers can relate pretty well to the good 'ole days. Back in the 2010-11 season, Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl title, and since then, he's perennially been considered one of the few quarterbacks able to lead his team back to the highly-coveted title game. Until he wasn't.
The Giants and Rodgers might have more in common than they'd like to admit. From the late 2000s to the mid-2000s, both were viewed as legitimate Super Bowl-caliber threats and garnered the respect of the NFL. It's funny how drastically things can change. Fast-forward a decade or so and both are seemingly irrelevant and stuck reliving the past, holding on for hope that better days lie ahead.
Well, for one of them, better days are ahead, and for the other... it's looking like the end of the road. Or is it?
The Giants are better off leaving Aaron Rodgers on read
In a surprising NFL Combine twist, it was reported by Pro Football Talk there is a persistent rumor swirling around that Rodgers' camp has reached out to the Giants' brass to gauge interest in signing him in free agency. He said he is looking for mutual interest and a good team in his next team. A lot to unpack there, so let's try.
Rodgers is no longer the MVP-worthy player he used to be. He hasn't been for some time. If his time with the Jets was any indication of what he'd bring to the G-Men, it's going to be a hard pass. Rodgers looked old. He didn't move as well as he used to. He couldn't elevate a team many deemed playoff-ready. He led the Jets to five wins in his second season after tearing his Achilles in his first season.
He'll be 41 years old, and Father Time is undefeated. Aaron Rodgers already looks defeated.
Sure, the counting stats didn't look all that terrible—especially to Giants fans—but empty stats that don't bring in wins are just as useless as the paper they're counted on. He ended the season with 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Those are better numbers than any Giants QB has seen in a minute, but is this the best New York can do? It feels like a stretch.
General manager Joe Schoen has already gone on record saying he will do anything and everything to bring in a quarterback, either through the draft, trade, free agency, or any two of the three. But is this the move he should make? Would the Giants have mutual interest, and are they really a good team?
While Rodgers would most likely come in on a cheap, short-term contract, this feels like a move Big Blue should avoid like the plague. Sure, Rodgers is better than Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito, but is that the bar? He was supposed to mentor Zach Wilson, but if Wilson's disastrous development with the Jets is any indication, it's hard to believe he'd be the guiding hand a young Giants QB would need.
Rodgers reaching out only proves one thing—this team is still a quarterback away from relevance. But that quarterback isn’t Aaron Rodgers.