The New York Giants and Aaron Rodgers don’t look like an ideal match, despite one needing a quarterback in the worst way and the other being a four-time NFL MVP and 10-time Pro Bowler.
Signing a veteran passer is an option open to the Giants in free agency, and the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz knows whether or not it will be Rodgers. Schwartz reported, “As for Aaron Rodgers, never say never but he will not be high on the list.”
That sounds about right, given both Rodgers’ age and the number of concerns about the 41-year-old, both on and off the field, prompting his eventual release from the New York Jets. Those concerns are likely to be too big of a risk for the Giants when fellow Super Bowl winners Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford are potentially available.
Schwartz referenced how “Russell Wilson paid a visit to the Giants last year, and he could be in play if he is available, as there is a starting job and a No. 1 wide receiver (Malik Nabers) on the scene this time around. Exploring a trade for Matthew Stafford should not be ruled out.”
There’s also the chance Giants general manager Joe Schoen uses the third-overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft to select a quarterback of the future. The only thing likely to deter Schoen are the surprising reservations the Giants have about the top passers in this class.
Aaron Rodgers Too Big a Risk for Giants
It hasn’t taken long for the Jets to decide to part company with Rodgers after hiring Aaron Glenn as head coach. Despite the sudden split, “all signs point to him continuing to play” in 2025, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
The Giants rate as an obvious potential landing spot given their need at football’s most important position. That need is outweighed by the heavy price the Jets paid to accommodate Rodgers, before getting little in return.
A disparity summed up by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell.
Rodgers’ time with the Giants’ local AFC counterparts has been blighted by injury and concerns about his focus. The QB who’s led the league in passing four times ruptured his Achilles tendon against the Buffalo Bills during his first regular-season game in 2023. Concerns about Rodgers’ injury history grew after he also suffered ankle and knee problems last season.
Trusting an ageing signal-caller to stay healthy is a luxury this Giants regime cannot afford. Not when Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are on a warning from team president and co-owner John Mara.
Getting the quarterback position right is the only way Daboll and Schoen survive even part of next season. What they don’t need are the distractions that come with the territory when Rodgers is on the roster.
Those distractions were spelled out by former Jets wide receiver and current Fox Sports analyst Keyshawn Johnson. He explained (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini) how Rodgers “threw a receiver [Mike Williams] under the bus and ran it back twice over him. He went to Egypt during minicamp. He goes on those ayahuasca things. He’s always pointing to [his coaches]. It’s too much.”
There has also been speculation that Rodgers’ regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show are a distraction. The Jets told Rodgers to stop appearing on the show this year, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, speaking on the “Scoop City” podcast, although NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport denied the AFC East club made such a demand.
Significantly, Rapoport also reported the Jets did ask Rodgers “to be around more.”
The Giants need a quarterback who’s all in with their latest rebuilding program. It’s why a draft pick makes sense.
Giants Have Doubts About Rookie QBs
Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward should be in range of the Giants with the third pick, but it might not make a difference. Even if the Giants “are intrigued with Sanders,” per Schwartz.
Worries about Sanders relate to “the dynamic with his famous father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. There is a concern that Shedeur has been coached by his father since high school, and the Giants saw firsthand the video-centric, everything-gets-documented ecosystem created at Colorado and the spotlight that both father and son seem to crave. If, for instance, the Giants lose their first two games with Shedeur as the rookie starter, does Deion send missives from Boulder questioning the offensive line or a dropped pass or the play calling?”
Schwartz also pointed to “possible questions about his body type — he does not exactly look like a physical specimen —” regarding Ward. Question marks like these mean the Giants are probably reluctant to trade up above the equally QB-needy Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans.
Perhaps trading first-round value will be easier to take if it yields a proven commodity like Stafford. Alternatively, the Giants could revisit signing Wilson, especially since the Pittsburgh Steelers are emerging as the leaders to add Rodgers.
Neglecting to join the queue is the smartest policy for the Giants. There are better options to help finally solve their seemingly perpetual QB woes.
Giants Stance on Signing Aaron Rodgers in Free Agency Revealed