Wide receiver Darius Slayton will likely officially leave the New York Giants as a free agent at some point after the new league year opens on March 12, but he nevertheless is well aware of rumors linking his current employer with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
During the latest edition of "The Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard" podcast, Slayton expressed doubts that Rodgers would be a good fit for the Giants offense run by head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
"Aaron Rodgers is what he is," Slayton explained. "There’s not really much molding of Aaron Rodgers at this point. He’s obviously an all-time great quarterback, great guy to play with. But I was referring to being able to mold a guy. Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers. You ain’t molding him."
Before the Jets acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in the spring of 2023, Gang Green hired Rodgers-favorite Nathaniel Hackett to serve as the club's offensive coordinator so that the future Hall of Famer could run his preferred offense. The Jets also acquired multiple players Rodgers wanted during his two-year tenure with the organization, most recently when they landed Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders via a trade this past fall.
It's practically a guarantee Rodgers won't have anything close to that type of power with what probably will be the final team of his career. Thus, Slayton noted that Rodgers would require some patience as he attempted to build chemistry with young wide receivers such as 2024 first-round draft pick Malik Nabers, 23-year-old Jalin Hyatt and 24-year-old Wan'Dale Robinson for such an experiment to result in the Giants winning games this coming fall.
"They would need [organized team activities], they would need camp reps, they would need to get on the same page with him," Slayton said. "And if the Giants were to do that, I would think there would have to be an understanding that he has to be willing to help bring these guys along. He can’t come in there and expect them to be like Davante and be a proven product and finished product and be ready to go. If that was the route for them to take, it would have to be with that understanding in order for it to be successful."
A recent report said that the Giants' alleged interest in Rodgers "was blown a bit out of proportion" after the club struck out in its pursuit of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. For a piece published Tuesday morning, ESPN's Jordan Raanan mentioned that Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings and Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers "are believed to be near the top of the Giants' list, should they make it to free agency, according to multiple sources who spoke with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine."
Perhaps Raanan's update indicates people within the Giants aren't convinced Rodgers is the right temporary QB1 for the franchise this particular offseason.
