The New York Giants do not have a quarterback currently under contract for the 2025 season. Finding their next franchise quarterback will be New York’s top priority in the upcoming offseason. Now that the Giants are no longer projected to pick first overall, they might need to get creative in their search for a quarterback. Maybe they could take a chance on a veteran free agent this offseason in hopes of sparking a potential career resurgence.
NFL teams might go chasing the next Sam Darnold in 2025
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has made waves through the NFL this season as he experienced a career resurgence with his new team. Darnold is having a breakout 2024 season with the Vikings after flaming out as a historic 2018 draft bust with the New York Jets before spending several years as a journeyman backup. The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million “prove-it” deal in the offseason, viewing him as a quality backup with starting upside. After their rookie QB J.J. McCarthy went down with an injury, Darnold got his chance to demonstrate that upside and exceeded all expectations, establishing himself as a franchise quarterback.
Across the NFL recently, there has been a resurgence of several formerly failed quarterbacks. Darnold is the most recent example, but other examples include Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, and, to some extent, Russell Wilson, among others. Sometimes, quarterbacks are late bloomers who simply need a change of scenery and a new coaching approach to spark a breakout and unlock their talent.
Now, instead of rolling the dice in the NFL Draft (the league’s ultimate crapshoot), quarterback-needy teams might go on the hunt for the next version of Darnold in free agency.
Could Carson Wentz be the next Sam Darnold?
The 2025 quarterback free agency class is not believed to be the strongest group of talent. But, then again, neither was the 2024 class, and that yielded a franchise quarterback in Darnold. If there is one quarterback, however, that teams might be willing to take a chance on, it could be Carson Wentz.
Wentz has spent the last three years of his career as a journeyman backup. He was with the Washington Football Team in 2022, the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, and, most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs as Patrick Mahomes’s backup in 2024. Wentz was once viewed as a franchise quarterback and one of the best young players at his position during his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016 to 2020. Injuries derailed Wentz’s career. The Indianapolis Colts attempted to spark a resurgence out of Wentz in 2021, but they were unsuccessful in their efforts.
Since then, Wentz has been waiting patiently for his next opportunity, biding time as a high-level backup quarterback. He spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with two of the best quarterbacks and quarterback coaches in the league in Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford of the Rams and Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, respectively. This developmental time in the background with some of the league’s top coaches and quarterbacks could pay off for Wentz the next time he is given a starting opportunity.
- Mock trade has Giants selling the farm to move up and draft Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
- Giants star defensive lineman selected for third-straight Pro Bowl
- Former Giants superstar running back won’t break NFL rushing record vs. New York in Week 18
Could the Giants take a chance on Wentz in 2025?
The Giants could give Wentz that opportunity in 2025. The former Pro Bowl talent with the Eagles has not been a starting quarterback for a long time but could be ready for the opportunity. Wentz was always a physical talent with a strong arm and an ability to make plays both from within and outside of the pocket.
In 2017, Wentz finished third in league MVP voting behind an 11-2 record, 3,296 passing yards, and a 33-7 TD-INT ratio. That’s when Wentz was viewed as the league’s next rising star at the quarterback position — until a torn ACL prematurely ended that MVP-level season. The talent has always been there for Wentz. Now he just needs a new team to believe that those abilities are still present and give him a chance to prove it. The Giants could attempt to do exactly that by signing him to a cheap deal in the 2025 free-agency period.
- Mock trade has Giants selling the farm to move up and draft Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
- Giants star defensive lineman selected for third-straight Pro Bowl
- Former Giants superstar running back won’t break NFL rushing record vs. New York in Week 18
Signing Wentz wouldn’t prevent the Giants from continuing to add talent at quarterback either. Similarly to what the Vikings did with Darnold, the Giants could sign Wentz to a one-year deal, treating him as their bridge quarterback while still drafting a rookie to develop behind him.
Best-case scenario: Wentz exceeds all expectations and establishes himself as the Giants’ franchise quarterback, similar to Darnold. Worst-case scenario: he proves to be just a backup and nothing more and a rookie takes over the starting job in the middle of the season, as seen with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye of the New England Patriots this season.
Signing Wentz would be the ultimate low-risk, high-reward signing for the Giants.