It is unclear where the Giants reside in the Aaron Rodgers race, but most indications do not have them in the lead. The Vikings may well have been in front, and their decision to stand down for the time being may not accelerate Rodgers’ interest in taking a Pittsburgh or New York off-ramp anytime soon.
The Giants and Steelers will understandably want clarity soon, as we are winding down the second week of free agency. While these teams are competing for Rodgers, they also waged a lower-stakes battle for a backup recently. As the Giants have met with both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes they were also wanting to speak with Mason Rudolph. The Steelers foiled those plans.
[RELATED: Steelers Willing To Wait On Rodgers’ Decision]
Rudolph agreed to return to Pittsburgh after a season in Tennessee, rejoining the Steelers on a two-year, $8MM deal. Rudolph closed the 2023 season as Pittsburgh’s starter, usurping Kenny Pickett, but he is not expected to reprise that role — at least, that does not appear Plan A or Plan B for the AFC North team. But Rudolph represents insurance in the event the Rodgers proceedings do not go Pittsburgh’s way.
It appears the Giants assessed this situation similarly, and it is certainly worth noting that Rudolph appeared on their radar as a backup option as Drew Lock remains in free agency. While a generally erratic passer, the former Broncos starter did deliver an impressive effort in an upset win over the Colts. He spent last season in Brian Daboll‘s system and is among the top QB options left unsigned. Rudolph made five Titans starts last season, going 1-4 and finishing with a 9:9 TD-INT ratio. This still secured the former third-round pick a raise — up from a one-year, $2.87MM Tennessee deal — for 2025.
A Rudolph signing would have likely preceded a flood of rumors tying the Giants to a first-round quarterback pick. Had New York’s Matthew Stafford plan worked, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan writes the team would have been unlikely to add an early-round QB as a developmental option (subscription required). It is then worth wondering if a Rodgers addition would impede the Giants in an effort to draft a first-round QB.
Although the Giants are desperate for a long-term solution, Rodgers would become a surefire starter. And he may not be overly eager to join a team that would identify his replacement weeks after signing him. With Rodgers turning 42 before year’s end, such luxuries may not be afforded. After all, Daboll and Joe Schoen are on scorching-hot seats. Still, the Giants landing Rodgers may make them less inclined to use their No. 3 overall pick on a QB. Wilson, Winston or Joe Flacco joining the team, though, may not quiet noise about a Round 1 investment at the position.
Rudolph, 29, may soon be either Rodgers or Wilson’s backup. The seven-year veteran played that role behind Ben Roethlisberger and had fallen to the third-stringer during Mitchell Trubisky‘s stopover. The latter struggling led Rudolph into the Steelers’ lineup. Until Rodgers decides, however, Rudolph’s true outlook remains a bit foggy ahead of his second stint in Pittsburgh.
That actually seems like a logical option. Rudolph probably isn’t the future, but he’s also probably an upgrade over Lock, and can handle the offense until the long term project is identified. It’s a good intersection between giving Rudolph a chance and having a placeholder to start who can be replaced without much concern for New York.
The Giants added some nice pieces in the draft last year, and I like the Holland signing (even if it’s just a mea culpa on letting McKinney walk last year), but man is this team just spinning its wheels. Lame duck coach, lame duck GM, no plan at quarterback or clear path to getting one, and not exactly a dynamite roster aside from that. Bringing in an old quarterback might raise the floor, but it won’t yield a path forward. It’s possible they can find a quarterback plan after Ward in the draft, but that seems more like a wish than a goal. What’s the point of this season for them?
To get a better pick in the next (hopefully more promising) draft?
This seems like the swan song for Daboll and Schoen. Barring a surprising step forward, it seems to me like Mara is giving them one more chance to do something. Considering the fact that not many of us have high expectations for this draft class, it makes more sense to do it this year than it does to saddle your new staff with a rebuild in a year without an obvious franchise player to pick in April.
That makes sense, but if you want to look to the future and you keep on a head coach and GM who need to win this year or get fired, you’ve got yourself a conflicted direction. This team has spent a lot of money the last two years on players who are fine, which raises their floor–sort of. Daboll and Schoen are incentivized to raise the floor even more, hurting their draft pick. We also don’t exactly know how good next year’s quarterback class will be. Are we assuming a huge leap for Allar? Everyone says tank for Arch, but are we positive he’s even that great or going to come out next year? He’s a teenager who’s attempted 95 passes in college.
Not that I love the situation the Jets are in, but I prefer it to the Giants right now. They brought in a new regime that doesn’t have a gun to its head to make drastic short term improvements that could undercut the future path forward. If the Giants’ only real hope is to build for the future, you would hope the people doing the building would be people who have any chance of being there.
To me the difference between the NJ teams is the Jets always shoot themselves in the foot but are willing to admit when the plan failed and move on to another approach. The Giants meanwhile prefer to stay in a state of denial hoping some minor tweaks will miraculously solve a hopeless situation.
If they truly wanted him as a backup to a veteran QB, that would have been a very solid idea. Rudolph as QB1, as he might end up being on the Steelers, would be pretty bad.
We’re almost to April now with no clear idea on who the Giants QB will be. If Rodgers retires and Wilson goes back to Pittsburgh, Giants will be backed into a corner and will have to spend a high pick on a QB and also acquire and lesser vet like Flacco or Winston. Whether the Giants can even vie for a Wild Card spot or whether they’re looking at yet another top 5 pick next season heavily depends on the next few weeks.
That’s what bottom dwellers do … look for more !
They need to try and sign Winston or Wilson, right now. At least have someone to move forward with. This idea they’re waiting on Rodgers, who -in my opinion- isn’t worth the headache – is irresponsible.
This has gotten so bad and yet there is no end in site without a long term answer at QB.
But yea, awesome, checked in on Rudolph. What a joke
When Rudolph has played in Pittsburgh, he’s done well. I still don’t understand why Rudolph didn’t get the chance to take over from Roethlisberg as was planned when the Steelers drafted him.
The Giants are window shopping for a qb. If they wind up with Locke. Just show Dabill and Schoen the door now.