As the Steelers shift their focus toward making Aaron Rodgers their QB1 next season, Russell Wilson finds himself in limbo. Now, it’s time for him to explore his options—one of which could be the Giants.
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New York is also in the mix for Rodgers, but they may ultimately turn to Wilson, just as they were prepared to do last season. Why? According to Keyshawn Johnson, Rodgers simply wouldn’t make them competitive.
On a recent episode of Speak, Johnson argued that signing Rodgers wouldn’t elevate the Giants in the NFC East. At best, he believes they’d still be fighting for third or fourth place in the division. However, he acknowledged that in the NFL, quick turnarounds can happen.
The former Jets wide receiver pointed to past examples—like the Jets’ resurgence under Bill Parcells during his playing days or the Commanders’ unexpected turnaround last season after finishing 4-13 the year before. So, could the Giants pull off a similar transformation?
Technically, yes—but Johnson doesn’t see it happening.
” They are going to finish 3rd or 4th. They were 3-14 last year. Can the Giants put it together to be competitive within the division? I don’t think so. If I’m watching you across the river for the last two years, if I’m the Giants in that organization, I’ve seen that movie before. This is one of the reasons why they’re meeting with Russell Wilson in the next day or so.”
He emphasized that the Giants have already watched how the Rodgers experiment played out with the Jets, and they don’t want history to repeat itself. They can’t afford to. As a franchise already struggling with its reputation, they don’t want to add to the ridicule. That’s why, in Johnson’s view, Wilson is the safer bet—and the better one. Michael Irvin seems to agree too.
Michael Irvin too doesn’t believe in the pairing of Rodgers and the Giants
Irvin echoed Keyshawn Johnson’s sentiments—he, too, doesn’t believe Aaron Rodgers would make the Giants competitive. And he has a point. After all, the four-time MVP couldn’t make it work with the Jets, a team that was in a far better position than their crosstown rivals.
While the Giants don’t have many options, given that they aren’t true contenders, Irvin believes they should still be cautious when evaluating Rodgers’ interest. They need to determine his true intentions—does he genuinely want to play and give his all on the field, or is he simply trying to make a statement to the media that has hounded him for the past two years?
The real question the Giants must ask themselves is this: Why would a quarterback as talented as Rodgers choose to bring his skills to a struggling team like theirs? The answer is simple—because he doesn’t just bring talent. He brings baggage too.
” He doesn’t make them a contender. He couldn’t lift the Jets up to get them in contention. The Jets when he got there were in a better place than the Giants are right now. I would be worried if I’m the Giants because I know we are not contenders but is he coming back to give us what he has on the football field, or is coming back to prove a point to the media?”
At this point, what do the Giants have to lose by signing Aaron Rodgers? Realistically, they can’t do much worse than last season’s 3-14 finish. And even if they somehow do, they’d be in an even better position to draft a franchise quarterback next year—perhaps someone like Arch Manning.
Instead of using their No. 3 overall pick on a quarterback in a weak class, the Giants should trade it to the Raiders in exchange for multiple draft assets. With those extra picks, they could focus on strengthening the trenches—either by drafting an offensive lineman to protect their future QB or a defensive lineman to bolster their pass rush. Then, they sign Rodgers and see how it plays out.
Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock continues to fall, Cam Ward is off the table, and Jaxson Dart isn’t considered a top prospect. So why waste a valuable pick on a quarterback who isn’t a surefire franchise player? The Giants shouldn’t let Brian Daboll or Joe Schoen burn a premium selection just to save their jobs.
Instead, they should play the long game—draft Manning next year and build around him. And if the Rodgers experiment works out, they could even keep him around as a veteran mentor for Arch.
