Who will be the quarterback of the New York Giants in 2025? Chances are, it won’t be Daniel Jones after the $160 million man got benched, largely so the team could avoid paying a $23 million injury guarantee next year.
The other quarterbacks on the roster, Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock, are viewed as backups at best. This means the Giants will spend the offseason searching for a new QB solution, whether head coach Brian Daboll returns in 2025 or not. Yet, since the 2025 NFL Draft class is thin at the QB position, the Giants’ GM may have to get creative this offseason, which could include trading for an established arm.
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Kirk Cousins mentioned as potential New York Giants QB solution in 2025
In a perfect world, the New York Giants would stand pat and select a quarterback in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft. If the season ended today, they’d select fourth overall, yet there’s no guarantee a franchise solution will be available.
In turn, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Giants could turn to the trade market for a player like Kirk Cousins. Of course, Atlanta signed the four-time Pro Bowl QB to a $180 million contract last offseason. But that was before they doubled down and selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.
With Cousins having a strong season, yet the Falcons only being one win ahead of last year’s pace when they had Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinecke, it’s possible they’d prefer to turn to Penix, who turns 25 next season.
Yet, Cousins is only one of a handful of quarterbacks that the Giants could consider as they look to move on from ‘Danny Dimes.’
“Would the Falcons trade Kirk Cousins after only one year if they think Michael Penix Jr. is ready? Will Sam Darnold be a free agent if J.J. McCarthy is ready to take over in Minnesota? Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are going to be free agents; could one of them fit? Would Trey Lance make sense? These don’t sound like great options, and maybe DeVito plays himself into the picture if the draft doesn’t line up for the Giants. But they’re back in the market for sure. Best case, the Giants draft a talented player they can develop quickly and have around for a long time.”
ESPN’s Dan Graziano on New York Giants-Kirk Cousins
Sam Darnold could be another wise option, providing some long-term upside as a 27-year-old, yet how much will he cost? Surely more than the $10 million contract he’s playing on now.
Otherwise, Russell Wilson or Justin Fields could be fair consolation prizes. Wilson is rejuvenating his reputation by leading the Steelers to a 4-0 record in games he’s started, but would Pittsburgh let him go? If he wants to play in the Big Apple as past rumors have indicated, he could be the perfect bridge QB while a rookie develops into a starter.
Nevertheless, the Giants will have a few options available in free agency and on the trade market if they don’t like their chances of landing a top QB through the draft. Even then, they may need to do both, add a veteran, plus a rookie to finally get this position right.
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