The New York Giants need to solve their problems under center this offseason. Their quarterback room was arguably the worst in the NFL this past season, which was one of the main reasons they limped to a 3-14 record. Upgrading at quarterback both immediately and long-term will be the top priority for general manager Joe Schoen.
While the Giants evaluate the quarterback prospects for them to consider in April’s NFL Draft, they also need to consider the veteran options that could hit the market when free agency rolls around in March. Among them could be former Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins as the Atlanta Falcons prepare to move on from him after just one season.
Recent mock trade lands the Giants Kirk Cousins from the Atlanta Falcons
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report recently projected the top trade packages for Cousins around the NFL, proposing mock trades that each of the league’s quarterback-needy teams could offer. He had the Giants and Falcons agreeing to the following deal:
- Giants Get: QB Kirk Cousins
- Falcons Get: 2025 4th-round pick, S Dane Belton
“Regardless of the Giants’ draft plans, they will add a veteran to an empty quarterback room,” Moton explained. “Cousins could be the team’s immediate starter to open the 2025 campaign. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, whose jobs were in question, could look for a quick start the next season with a proven signal-caller.”
Cousins would be far from a long-term solution for the G-Men. The 36-year-old is coming off a down season in 2024 in which he made 14 starts before being benched in favor of rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. However, Cousins did give the Falcons better quarterback play than New York enjoyed this past season.
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He totaled 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns across his 14 starts but also led the NFL with 16 interceptions. Cousins never seemed fully comfortable or recovered from the Achilles injury he suffered during the 2023 season. However, as a potential short-term addition, the Giants could view Cousins as a quality bridge quarterback who could serve as a mentor to an incoming rookie and win a few games before a first-year prospect takes over mid-way through the season.
There are cheaper, younger options who will be available this offseason, though, which is the direction the Giants will likely lean as opposed to sacrificing draft capital to acquire Cousins. But Schoen has demonstrated a propensity for making trades in the past, so perhaps this is a deal he could consider.