Matthew Stafford’s rejection saved the Giants from a nightmare

Matthew Stafford didn't want to go to the Giants, and that turned out to be an ideal scenario for the franchise.
Los Angeles Rams OTA Offseason Workout
Los Angeles Rams OTA Offseason Workout | Ric Tapia/GettyImages

During the offseason, Matthew Stafford agreed to a restructured deal with the Los Angeles Rams. However, before that, it was possible he was going to be traded, and the New York Giants were at the forefront of said trade rumors. The Giants were willing to give the Rams draft compensation in return for Stafford and pay the 16-year veteran a contract that would exceed $100 million over two years. Ultimately, Stafford wanted to stay put and turned down a possible trade to the Giants.

After Stafford's latest injury update, this seems like a blessing in disguise for the Giants. Currently, Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc and has yet to practice in training camp. While the Rams are listing Stafford as week-to-week and expecting him to be ready for Week 1, back injuries are notoriously tricky, especially for a 37-year-old like Stafford.

The Giants dodged a bullet by missing out on Stafford

It's a bad enough look that the Rams gave Stafford a new contract worth $84 million over the next two years. Nevertheless, it was an understandable move given they were just a playoff team and Stafford previously won the Super Bowl with LA. Now imagine if the Giants paid Stafford even more and traded draft capital to land an aging and injured QB. They would be mocked relentlessly, and frankly, this would be deserved.

The Giants have been far from a model organization in recent years. They especially drew backlash after letting star running back Saquon Barkley walk and signing Daniel Jones to a four-year $160 million contract. New York would later cut Jones just a year and a half into his contract. Luckily, the Giants avoided another blunder with Stafford.

After striking out Stafford, the Giants pivoted to Russell Wilson, giving him a one-year $10.5 million deal. While Wilson isn't a long-term solution to the Giants' problem, he's an ideal stopgap. Furthermore, they signed Jameis Winston and traded back into the first-round to draft Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. If they had given Stafford a hefty salary and traded draft capital to land him, drafting Dart would have been out of the question, and they would be in a much worse spot for their future.

Regardless, the Giants are now positioned nicely; they can give Dart a year to develop behind a future Hall of Famer and have a clear plan for their future. Ultimately, missing out on Stafford turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for the Giants.

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