The NY Giants need a quarterback and, unfortunately for them, this is not the offseason for finding one. When the best options in free agency are Sam Darnold, a washed-up Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson, you know things aren't great.
That being said, the Giants need to bring somebody in and Darnold could be the best option. He's had a rollercoaster of a career, starting out by flaming out with the Jets and then bouncing around the league over the past few years. In 2024, he helped the Vikings reach the playoffs and looked like a competent quarterback for the majority of the season.
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With the Vikings electing not to franchise tag Darnold, one would think the Giants' chances of landing him would increase but Adam Schefter still thinks the former first-rounder will end up back in Minnesota.
"The Vikings are not expected to [franchise] tag Sam Darnold. It would not be surprising if the two sides figured out some sort of short-term contract that enabled the Vikings to get Sam Darnold, that enabled him to get paid, that enabled them to run in back in the event that J.J. McCarthy is not fully ready this season from his knee injury, or struggles in the preseason, or experiences whatever type of setback there is," Schefter said on his podcast.
Schefter continued by noting that the Giants could still pry Darnold away from the Vikings but he didn't think that'd end up happening.
"So, to me, Sam Darnold to Minnesota makes sense but now that he’s not going to be tagged, other teams are going to have their say. So we’ll see if there is a team out there, like the New York Giants, that makes a compelling enough offer to pry loose Sam Darnold. My guess, as we tape this, is no. My guess is the one that makes the most sense is Minnesota. It’s not exactly what Sam Darnold would have hoped for or wanted but it’s still a favorable outcome in my mind."
Adam Schefter predicts the NY Giants will miss out on Sam Darnold
If this ended up being the case, the Giants would still be in the same pickle they were already in. The best options at quarterback in free agency would then be Rodgers and Wilson, two players who are nowhere near being the long-term answer.
The Giants could also look to spend their first-round draft pick on a signal-caller but unfortunately for them, this isn't last year where they could have had a quarterback with the third pick. This year, there are two quarterbacks considered to be above the rest of the draft class but they'd typically be mid-to-late first-rounders most years.
This isn't a great situation to be in for any team but for a team like the Giants, who have struggled to find a quarterback since Eli Manning retired, it feels even scarier. The Giants put in the work to try and bring Matthew Stafford to the Big Apple but when that plan fell through, they'll now have to pivot and hope their next move ends up being the correct one.