According to Ralph Vacchiano, right now all signs point to the top two targets for the Giants at quarterback being Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.
However, Vacchiano says if New York misses out on signing both, which is possible, the Giants would plan to pivot to either Jameis Winston or Joe Flacco.
That scenario could be triggered in a few different ways, including if the Vikings get involved and swoop in for Rodgers or if Wilson chooses to sign with another team. He’s taking a free agent visit with the Browns today before traveling to New York tomorrow.
The Giants are in a tough spot at the position, as the draft doesn’t offer a clear answer either. They are picking No. 3 in what’s believed to be a two-quarterback draft (if that) and both teams ahead of them, the Browns and Titans, need quarterbacks.
New York already had Winston on its radar this offseason, as the team planned on adding a veteran passer regardless of what happens in the draft.
Winston, 31, is a former first-overall pick of the Buccaneers back in 2015. He played out the 2019 season under the fifth-year option from his rookie contract and made a base salary of $20.922 million.
He signed with the Saints on a one-year, $1.1 million deal in 2020 and returned to New Orleans on another one-year contract worth up to $12 million in 2021 as the starter. He unfortunately tore his ACL after eight games.
The Saints re-signed him to a two-year deal with a maximum value of $28 million and reworked the deal in 2023. The Browns signed Winston to a one-year deal with a maximum value of $8.7 million last March.
In 2024, Winston appeared in 12 games for the Browns with seven starts, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He added 25 rush attempts for 83 yards and another touchdown.
We have Winston included in our Top 100 2025 NFL Free Agents list.
Flacco, 39, is a former first-round pick of the Ravens back in 2008. After over a decade in Baltimore, the Broncos agreed to trade a 2019 fourth-round pick to the Ravens for Flacco.
Flacco was in the fourth year of a six-year, $125 million contract that contained $44 million guaranteed and set to make a base salary of $20.25 million for 2020 when Denver released him with a failed physical designation.
He signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million worth up to $4.5 million with the Jets in 2020 before joining the Eagles in 2021. Philadelphia traded him back to the Jets ahead of the deadline for a conditional sixth-round pick.
Flacco later re-signed with the Jets on a one-year, $3.5 million deal in 2022. He signed on with the Browns during the season in 2023 and parlayed a strong performance into a deal with the Colts in 2024.
In 2024, Flacco appeared in eight games for the Colts with six starts, completing 65.3 percent of his pass attempts for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
We’ll have more on the Giants’ plans at quarterback as the news is available.
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