Who will be Giants’ QB in 2025? Options for Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll

Finding a competent quarterback to place under center in 2025 will be the top priority for the New York Giants this offseason, and the decision that will ultimately make or break general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll’s tenure at MetLife Stadium.

The Daniel Jones experiment failed, and after cutting him on the other side of the Week 11 bye, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito did little to suggest they could be anything more than backups.

Finishing the season 3-14, the Giants hold the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, but that does not guarantee a top passing prospect to work with. A Week 17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts destroyed any prospect of that. Had New York lost its final two games of the regular season, it would have had the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Now, they will spend the first two-plus months of their offseason in limbo as they try to cover all of their bases. There are options to consider, but none outside the draft are all that inspiring at first glance.

New York Giants 2025 quarterback options

A gift at the draft

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass the ball in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The two teams picking ahead of the Giants, the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, are likely to select quarterbacks with the top two picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. Will Levis was a bust in Tennessee, while the Browns have a clear path to move on from Deshaun Watson.

Could the prospect of drafting a two-way talent like Colorado cornerback/wide receiver and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter be more appealing to either of those two teams? As of now, that does not seem likely. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are the undisputed best quarterbacking talents of the draft and should go 1-2, leaving the Giants out in the cold amidst a weaker crop of passing prospects.

If Tennessee or Cleveland deviates from their expected paths, though, the Giants will snap up one of the two remaining in Sanders and Ward.

Who knows? Maybe the Sanders can try to pull off what the Mannings did 21 years ago and refuse to play for the Titans or Browns.

A 1-year bridge like… Aaron Rodgers?

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Should the Giants miss out on one of the top two quarterbacks at the draft, they could take a second-tier option in the second round, like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe or Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, and stash them for a year.

That would make a veteran bridge starter the move for 2025, and who would be better than Aaron Rodgers (there is some sarcasm to this)?

Rodgers’ future with the Jets is murky as the team across the hall at MetLife Stadium continues their process of hiring a new general manager and head coach. New leadership will likely lead to the 41-year-old’s exit.

A veteran presence, albeit one whose skills are diminished due to his age (it does not have to be Rodgers), could be just what the Giants need in 2025. Not only could their hypothetical draft pick learn from one of the game’s greatest, but a cast of dynamic receiving weapons featuring Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt could create a symbiotic relationship with Rodgers should he choose to go for one last ride before hanging up his cleats.

Of course, there is the off-field drama that comes with Rodgers, which is something that never used to fly with the Giants. But things are obviously different nowadays — and Schoen, Daboll, and co-owner John Mara would have to decide if the potential headaches would be worth it.

Free agency

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Say the Giants miss out on their quarterback options at the draft and do not feel confident that a bridge passer can hold them over until the next best thing comes along whether that is in 2026 or 2027: That means a foray into free agency for a multi-year option is the next best thing.

The problem is that the free-agent class is not teeming with options.

As it stands, former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold leads the pack after suddenly putting it all together with a very strong Minnesota Vikings team. The 27-year-old, who was thrust into the starting job after rookie JJ McCarthy went down with a season-ending injury during exhibition play, has passed for a career-high 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns.

Such production would be the best thing the Giants have had since Eli Manning, but the supporting cast in New York is nothing like what he currently has in Minnesota — and Darnold would likely be looking to cash in on his big season.

There is a chance that veteran Kirk Cousins could make his way onto the free-agent market after the Atlanta Falcons benched him. But at 36 years old and coming off a year in which he threw 18 touchdowns with 16 interceptions, is there any legitimate production left in the tank?

Derek Carr is another name to watch as his time with the New Orleans Saints could be coming to a premature end. However, injuries have been prevalent throughout the 33-year-old’s career, which does not make him the most reliable option.

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