Sad News: New York Giants Get More Bad News on QB Situation

The New York Giants caught a break in their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday, March 19, as the Minnesota Vikings took themselves out of the running for the four-time MVP quarterback.

However, New York quickly faced a setback following that news.

Both the Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers have made offers to Rodgers in free agency, and with Minnesota out of the mix, it is highly likely that one of the two franchises land him. But while the Vikings’ exit from the proceedings should presumably speed up the process toward a resolution, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that the contrary is actually true.

“Nothing related to Minnesota has altered Aaron Rodgers’ timeline,” Schefter reported in an X post. “One source monitoring Rodgers’ potential decision about the 2025 season said this morning that the free-agent QB still ‘is in no rush at all.'”

Obviously, once a team has extended an offer to a player at the game’s most important position, a reasonable turnaround timetable is something the franchise would prefer. That the Giants aren’t getting that from Rodgers, and may have to wait an untold number of days — or even weeks — before they do is not ideal for the roster-building and planning processes.

But these circumstances are even more troubling for New York because of the uncertainty shrouding every other avenue the team might take to secure a QB.

The Giants own the No. 3 pick in April’s NFL draft, but there are only two quarterbacks in Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders considered by most analysts as worthy of a selection inside the top three.

It’s unclear if New York will be able to draft either player with the third pick. It is also unclear which of the two QBs will remain on the board at that point, if one actually does fall past the second selection.

And even if the Giants can land Ward or Sanders — either at No. 3 or via a trade up — the team is going to need an experienced veteran as well. That player could end up a backup QB in 2025, but there’s a reasonable chance that whoever he is — Rodgers or someone else — he’s going to need to start some games next season, perhaps even in Week 1.

The longer New York waits on Rodgers to make up his mind, the better the chances that the other top options remaining get snapped up.