The New York Giants had one job: land Matthew Stafford and finally give this franchise a real quarterback again, at least for a year or two. They apparently checked every box, met every demand, and even made the deal as financially lucrative as possible. And still, they walked away with nothing.
According to Rich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show, the Giants weren’t just making calls about Stafford—they were in it to win it. They met the Los Angeles Rams’ asking price in trade talks, offered Stafford the contract he wanted, and even made a sneaky hire in bringing Chad Hall (Stafford’s brother-in-law) onto the coaching staff. Everything was perfectly lining up for the G-Men to land their guy.
And then Stafford pulled the rug out from under them. Well, that wasn't the news Giants fans wanted to hear. Thanks, Rich, for the update.
Matthew Stafford just wanted to stay with the Rams
"I heard the Giants' and Raiders' interest in Matthew Stafford was quite real, and it was hairy at certain junctures last week," Eisen reported. "And I heard the Giants hit the number – and they hit the number for Stafford. And they not only hit the number for Stafford – this again is from multiple people – I heard they hit the number for Stafford and they hit the trade comp, too. They were in."
But it wasn’t enough.
"I think, at the end of the day, the Staffords liked looking at the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean," Eisen added. "When it all comes down to it, it is the best spot for him. Why would he start up from scratch?”
And there it is. Stafford never really wanted to leave the Rams. He let other teams do the legwork and drive up his value, putting the pressure on LA to get a new deal done. It felt like the Giants had a real shot at Stafford, but in the end, turns out they were nothing more than a bargaining chip. I mean, who could really blame Stafford?
The problem now is that the Giants weren't looking at Stafford for a fun time. They desperately need a quarterback, and this setback means they’re officially back to the drawing board. Losing out on the former Super Bowl champ throws them into a quarterback free-for-all that already includes Aaron Rodgers rumors, constant speculation about Justin Fields, Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and, of course, their NFL Draft options.
At No. 3 overall, the Giants could still land Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders if one of them is left on the board. But with the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns sitting ahead of them, there’s a real chance that the top two quarterbacks are already gone before New York gets to make a pick. That leaves them with the possibility of either trading up for full control of the draft or pivoting to a veteran stopgap option, or both.
Rodgers is suddenly on their radar, but that feels like an overcorrection for missing out on Stafford. Darnold, Fields, and Wilson remain available, but none of them scream “long-term solution.” The Giants are stuck in a place where they pretty much need to do whatever it takes to get a quarterback.
This latest update in the Stafford saga at least goes to show that general manager Joe Schoen is actively trying to improve the roster. Unforuntately things didn't work out this time, but maybe next.