The New York Giants are clearly among the top players in the quarterback market this offseason. They took a swing and attempted to trade for Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, but ultimately missed out. Now they will pivot their attention to free agency as they aim to add a veteran quarterback to their roster prior to the NFL Draft.
There are also rumblings that the Giants, currently picking third overall, could trade up to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft with the hopes of selecting their next franchise quarterback. However, that plan may not be set in stone, and could be altered by what New York accomplishes in free agency.
Signing QB Sam Darnold could change the Giants’ draft plans
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently previewed the offseason and shared some insight on Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold. While discussing the 27-year-old’s market, Fowler indicated that teams might view Darnold as more of a long-term solution at quarterback than a bridge. This could prompt a team, such as the Tennessee Titans, who pick first in this year’s draft, to pass on a quarterback in the first round of a weak quarterback draft class:
“‘What they do in free agency might inform what their plans are for the top pick,’ a high-ranking personnel man with an NFL team said of the Titans. ‘If they go and sign, say, Sam Darnold, they might feel less of a need to draft a quarterback high,'” Fowler wrote.
Although this personnel man was speaking on the Titans, the situation could be the same for the Giants. New York made a strong play for Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford but ultimately fell short. The assumption was that, if the Giants had successfully traded for Stafford, they would not have spent the No. 3 pick on a quarterback. Perhaps signing Darnold would also give the Giants a sense of flexibility with their first-round draft pick.
Could the Giants realistically land Darnold?
If the Giants want Darnold, however, they will need to be willing to pay up and outbid the competition. Darnold is expected to have a vast market as the “top” quarterback in free agency:
“Darnold is considered the top free agent quarterback and could command a contract worth more than $30 million per year,” Fowler reported.
At 27, Darnold is the younger option of all the top veteran quarterbacks set to be available in free agency. The likes of Aaron Rodgers (41) and Russell Wilson (36) are viewed as more short-term, bridge options. Darnold is viewed as a player who might still be ascending and therefore could fetch a lucrative long-term deal on the open market.
Darnold has an estimated market value of $40 million per season with Spotrac projecting a four-year, $160 million contract for him in free agency. That deal would be essentially the same as the one the Giants signed Daniel Jones to just two offseasons ago. It might be difficult for them to take such a similar risk only two years later on a player like Darnold who, similarly to Jones when he signed that deal, only has one legitimately good season in his career.
Signing Darnold could make the Giants far more flexible, though, in this year’s draft. If he is viewed as a more long-term solution at the quarterback position, then the Giants could stick and pick at No. 3 overall and avoid trading away premium draft capital to move up to the first-overall pick. This would then allow the Giants to land an elite talent with their first-round draft pick while targeting a more developmental quarterback prospect later in the draft.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll need to win games in 2025 in order to save their jobs. Darnold won 14 games in 2024 behind 4,319 passing yards and a 35-12 TD-INT ratio. If the Giants feel as though he could have similar success in New York, they might be motivated to sign Darnold and add talent around him, rather than targeting an older veteran as a bridge to a rookie.
