The Giants accomplished a great deal in the first two days of NFL free agency, fortifying their defense with two impact players, adding depth to their offensive line and bringing back one of their own, wide receiver Darius Slayton.
But they did not achieve what they set as their primary goal: Find a veteran quarterback who might have to start on opening day.
There is a holding pattern at play here, and for the Giants, this could be foreshadowing of things to come: When you are dealing with Aaron Rodgers, be prepared for anything.
Rodgers and the Steelers have mutual interest, but as so often happens, turning that interest into a contract is the sticking point.
Rodgers at 41 years old, fresh off a wasteful two seasons with the Jets, will not break the bank, but he will want to get paid commensurate with what a future Hall of Fame quarterback views as worth his time and effort in what would be his 21st NFL season.
The Giants have to wait it out.
They want to find their franchise quarterback in next month’s NFL draft and, before then, are determined to sign a veteran for the position.
Their first choice this offseason was Matthew Stafford, and they made an aggressive move to get him, agreeing to terms on a contract and, at one point, believing the 37-year-old would be their guy in 2025.
Stafford eventually decided to stay with the Rams, and a trade never materialized.
The Giants then set their sights on Rodgers, with Russell Wilson as an option as well.
There were reports out of Pittsburgh on Tuesday that the Steelers would be open to bringing back Wilson if contract talks with Rodgers stalled.
Nevertheless, a source said the Steelers have not spoken with Wilson about a reunion.
There are moving parts to all this. The Giants’ former starter, Daniel Jones, seemingly cleared the way for quarterback clarity when he went to the Colts instead of returning to the Vikings.
The Vikings were interested in bringing back Jones — they signed him to their practice squad last season after the Giants dumped him — and appear ready to hand the starting quarterback job to J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick.
The Vikings are an appealing spot, given the quarterback-friendly offense run by head coach Kevin O’Connell and the fact they went 14-3 in 2024 with Sam Darnold as the starter.
There are differing views on whether Rodgers and the Vikings are a match.
Rodgers’ official release by the Jets will come at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
He was free to negotiate with teams once the Jets last month announced they were getting rid of him.
It figured that by now Rodgers would have a new football home, but rarely is anything routine or easy with him.
If the Giants miss out on Rodgers and Wilson, a player who might interest them is Joe Flacco.
The 40-year-old played decently last season for the Colts, going 2-4 in six starts with 12 touchdown pᴀsses, seven interceptions and a pᴀsser rating of 90.5.
Do the Giants want to see this scenario unfold?
No, they do not.
But they are running out of options.
They own the No. 3 pick in the draft, and their goal is to have the opportunity to select Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, trading up to No. 1 if they have to.
They want a veteran in place and continue to have to wait that out.
The Giants learned on Tuesday they received a compensatory draft pick in the third round — No. 99 overall — and that could be useful if they need to package picks in order to trade up.
