The Big Lead

Giants' reported Aaron Rodgers interest the height of foolish desperation

By Sam Westmoreland

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is shown after he led Gang Green to a 32-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins, on Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is shown after he led Gang Green to a 32-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins, on Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The New York Giants apparently learned nothing from the team with whom they share a stadium.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Giants have interest in Aaron Rodgers to be their quarterback next season.

The news comes after another Giants target, Matthew Stafford, agreed to a restructured contract with the Los Angeles Rams on Friday.

But, where Stafford would have been a smart, logical move for the Giants, signing Rodgers would be a profoundly foolish, desperate move by New York's NFC team.

RELATED: Shedeur Sanders vs. Cam Ward: who will be QB1 in the 2025 NFL draft?

The Giants have a roster with some promising young pieces. Wide receivers Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson both look solid, and running back Tyrone Tracy posted an 839 yard campaign in 2024-25. The offensive line is kind of a mess, but isn't the disaster it was even two years ago.

If that sounds like the Jets' situation when Rodgers joined them two seasons ago, that's because it's virtually identical. And Rodgers' time with the other team in New York could not have gone much worse than it did.

The 41-year-old was not only lackluster on the field as New York sputtered to a 5-12 record this season with just one win over a playoff team, but Rodgers looked sullen and sulky throughout the season. On top of that, the quarterback actively undermined team leadership and badmouthed ownership on his weekly spot on the Pat McAfee Show, throwing gasoline onto the raging trash fire that was the Jets' mess of a season.

Do you really think you're going to fix him? Do you think he's going to jell with a coach in Brian Daboll who, while capable as an offensive coach, has yet to run a system in the NFL that would remotely appeal to Rodgers? Do you think that, should things start slowly, Rodgers won't hesitate to pull the same petulant antics that wore out his welcome with the Jets?

Statistically, Rodgers was fine last season. Not great, not bad, but fine. He threw more than 10 interceptions for the second time in three seasons, and posted the third-fewest passing yards in a full season of his career. He didn't look like the same quarterback he was in Green Bay, and looked more like a quarterback who has lost some velocity on his fastball.

Is their plan to sign Rodgers and draft a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders to learn behind him for a couple seasons? Because it's hard to view Rodgers as a locker room leader at this point; his drama was too much in New York to give him that kind of label. If you're not drafting Sanders with him, then you're going to be right back here in a year or two; Rodgers is 41, and like it or not, he's coming to the end of a storied, Hall of Fame career. He's not going to be the face of the franchise within the next three seasons. He's a rental, a can kicked down the road.

Missing on Stafford is a blow for the Giants, but they shouldn't do anything as rash as relying on Aaron Rodgers to be anything other than a fading star at this point in his career. The risk is just too high.

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