The New York Football Giants appear to be in a holding pattern when it comes to deciding who their next starting quarterback will be. General manager Joe Schoen's top choice appears to be former New York Jets signal caller Aaron Rodgers but the interest doesn't seem to be as mutual as once thought.
Rodgers is holding out, courting the Minnesota Vikings in a round-about way to drive up his price. The Giants aren't the only team attempting to convince Rodgers to sign. The Pittsburgh Steelers are also in the mix and the four-time NFL MVP is hoping a bidding war will break out.
But while New York hopes to land the top free agent passer remaining, there could be better options available that'll have a longer-lasting positive impact on the franchise.
3 QB moves the Giants should make instead of signing Aaron Rodgers
1. Sign Russell Wilson
He's literally just waiting to be signed by someone. The 36-year-old met with New York for an entire day on Friday and things reportedly went well. Wilson is also likely to be cheaper than Rodgers, who is apparently asking for a deal similar to the one Sam Darnold got from the Seattle Seahawks (three years, $100.5 million).
He may have only thrown for 2,482 passing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024 (he missed six games to start the year due to injury) but his five interceptions matched a career low. New York is in need of a steady arm with little to no turnover tendencies.
2. Draft a rookie passer and sign a cheap veteran mentor
Schoen owns the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Experts say Miami QB Cam Ward is likely to be the No. 1 overall selection (owned by the Tennessee Titans) and any rookie passers picked immediately after that would be a reach (i.e. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders).
The Giants have the capital necessary to make a swap with Tennessee to ensure they can select Ward and rest easy knowing the franchise's future under center is somewhat secured. Obviously, Tennessee could always decline and pick Ward itself, leaving New York with a tough decision to make. At that point, Schoen should be selecting the best available player at No. 3 (Penn State DE Abdul Carter or Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter) and waiting until round two or three to pick a rookie QB.
If that's the case and Schoen is left with Sanders or Mississippi's Jaxson Dart, they'll still need a veteran signal caller to start the season and provide mentorship in the meantime. Jameis Winston (I know, not ideal) and Super Bowl XLVII champion Joe Flacco are still available. In fact, the latter met with New York on Thursday ahead of Wilson's visit.
3. Trade for Kirk Cousins
Alright, hear me out here. I know I said these were "better options" but let's just stick to the facts here. Rodgers wants an expensive deal for maybe one good year of production. The Atlanta Falcons already made that mistake with Kirk Cousins and made yet another error in keeping him around to backup Michael Penix Jr.
Schoen can take advantage of that situation and negotiate a deal where minimal assets are heading South and Cousins (plus a restructured deal or retained salary by Atlanta) arrives in East Rutherford, New Jersey. That being said, Cousins does have a no-trade clause he'd have to waive, although a guaranteed starting job (barring a rookie QB being drafted in April) might be enticing enough for him to do just that.
His 3,508 passing yards and 18 touchdowns in 14 games played is still quite impressive and more than serviceable. But I acknowledge the fact that 16 interceptions is a glaring red flag New York might want to avoid.
The bottom line is: Schoen has plenty of other avenues to take that will still benefit the team. He doesn't need to wait around for Rodgers to make up his mind. He should put the pressure on his camp by exploring one of these options closer.