Soon enough, the entire football world will be eagerly anticipating the release of the regular season schedule for the 2024 season. For the fans of the NY Giants, it’s always an event to circle on the calendar with people making their plans for the games.
The only thing right now we know is the opponents the Giants will face for their home and away contests, which were determined back in January.
Our 2024 opponents are set. pic.twitter.com/V8Vk0b2539
— New York Giants (@Giants) January 8, 2024
After the schedule release, we will know the entire details in full. For some of these games, there will be a few revenge battles in mind for some former players who were on the Giants last season, and are now playing elsewhere in 2024. Which players will be looking for revenge in 2024?
4. Vikings OLB Jihad Ward
After two seasons with the Giants, Jihad Ward’s tenure was likely coming to an end once Wink Martindale split with the team since Ward seemed like a favorite of Martindale’s. Wink is now the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan.
Ward signed a one-year deal with the Vikings, so he will be a visiting opponent when Minnesota comes to town to play the Giants. During the 2022 season, Ward saw the Vikings twice, as the Giants played them in the Christmas Eve regular season game and then several weeks later in the NFC Wild Card rematch that the Giants won.
Ward was one of the Giants top pass-rushers over the last two seasons with eight sacks and he was second last year on the Giants defense with five sacks while playing on the opposite side of Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants decided to upgrade their pass-rush when they made the trade with the Carolina Panthers to acquire Brian Burns, who is ready to put on a show with Thibodeaux.
Jihad Ward secured $250K with this sack in the final minutes of the 2023 season. pic.twitter.com/KTA2ei6XrC
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) January 8, 2024
Given how the Giants and Martindale’s divorce happened over the offseason, along with the Giants moving on to another more established pass-rusher, Ward could see the game against his former team as a way to get even with them and take some of his frustrations out on whoever is playing quarterback for the G-Men in that showdown.