After having just one quarterback on their entire roster less than a month ago, the New York Giants have finally managed to stock their QB room. With a pair of short-term deals for Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in hand, the G-Men have seemingly bought themselves a bit of time in their search for the next long-term solution. But is it enough?
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Given the lackluster nature of Wilson’s 2024 campaign, in addition to the fact that Winston was unemployed for several months prior to a deal being made, naturally, not many are impressed with the current state of the Giants’ roster.
Among those who believe the signings offered little to no improvements is the NFL Network’s in-house analyst, Daniel Jeremiah. On the latest episode of The Rich Eisen Show, the insider compared the supposed upgrade to flavoring, saying they went from “vanilla to French vanilla,” suggesting that the Giants’ offense will likely yield the same results as it did last season. But that’s not all.
“No matter which one of those guys you start… you’re the fourth best quarterback in that division… You could argue that maybe it’s an upgrade, but I don’t know.” Jeremiah didn’t hold back.
Both Wilson and Winston had a better win percentage than Daniels and managed to get in the end zone more often. However, both also turned the ball over at higher rates and took as many or more sacks than Jones did. Perhaps HC Brian Daboll is simply banking on the Wilsons’ success downfield to take them through this season. But Jeremiah isn’t convinced.
“I think it’s very similar, I don’t know that you’re going to get that much more impact there. Maybe with the resources that you have, with the high pick and other draft resources, you can build up the group around him.”
Seeing as Wilson only marginally outpaced Daniel Jones in regards to passing metrics, Jeremiah’s claims certainly appear to have some truth to them. Unless the nature of a one-year deal is enough to ignite some motivation within the former Steeler, the Giants are likely to be drafting in a similar spot once again in 2026.
Thankfully for the Giants, Rich Eisen was more optimistic about New York’s chances next season.
Eisen thinks Giants’ new hires are “perfect bridge guys”
In highlighting New York’s loss in the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, the titled host was willing to describe Wilson and Winston as “the perfect bridge guys” for a franchise that is still searching for an identity at quarterback.
Despite this, the seven-time Sports Emmy Award nominee maintained that the Giants are still a ways away from finding a legitimate option and that their placing of a one-year deadline on Brian Daboll would be counterproductive.
“You can’t put everybody under pressure… It’s not optimum, but let’s see what you can do… Can you coach this up to make sure we’re playing meaningful games in Weeks 15, 16, 17, and 18? Can you do that? If you do that, then we’re good.”
The next step would, of course, be to look for a permanent solution at quarterback.
“Then, let’s figure out who the next quarterback is and go find him and start it again… It’s a tough spot for them to be in. We’ll see what happens in the draft.”
While the talents of Malik Nabers provide a glimmer of hope for the offense, the reality of the situation is that it could be a while before the Giants are able to pair the wide receiver with a signal caller that can unlock his full potential. Asserting that “Daboll knows what he’s doing,” Eisen believes that New York needs to give Daboll more breathing room.
Nevertheless, the front office has made its decision. Believing that their newfound veteran QBs will be enough to improve a 3-14 roster, the Giants will now continue to set forth expectations for a head coach who has yet to deliver a 10-win season.